In Trusting Eyes
by ShadowPassinThru
Summary: After his aunt and uncle die unexpectedly, Ryo is forced into the emotional responsibility of fatherhood to their young child. Chapter update- Story completed. Dee and Ryo find an end, and a beggining.
1. Default Chapter

AN: This chapter is really bad ...;( I know the pace of it is too quick, but I can't seem to make it slow down in editing it. But honestly, there are eight published chapters on , and I hope you'll stick with it.  
  
I'm in the process right now of having chapter 9 re-re edited. Gah, I'm glad I have a beta who doesn't allow me to slack off. If only I'd had her advice for this chapter.  
  
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Title: In Trusting Eyes  
  
Author: Kayla  
  
Summary: After the unexpected deaths of his aunt and uncle, Ryo is forced into the emotional responsibility of giving their daughter - what they had given him. Dee and Ryo both are forced to understand what it means to be a father.  
  
Disclaimer: Sanami Matoh owns FAKE.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Archive: Please, if you'd like to have it on your site - by all means do. Please email me though, to let me know where it is.  
  
Author's Note: Song title comes from the Anthony Stewart Head song, "Babies." And yet it still sucks. I am the master of awful titles.  
  
- - - -  
  
It was dark, but a warm light illuminated the room, owing to several tiny candles that had been lit to add to the effect of the dinner. Curtains were drawn, not allowing the motion filled buzzing of New York City to be in any way noticeable. As romantic as it all was, neither of the two men in the room, could honestly say that the lighting was adding or subtracting from their night. The room, the lighting, it was all perfect, but they were drawn by each other only.  
  
"So," Dee began slowly, trying not to let the conversation he was having with his lover die. He was never one for total silence, because he had a controlling nature, and noise was more manageable then quiet. "What have you been thinking about all of those office romances we've got going on at work? I think it's starting to bug the cheif that everyone's pairing off."  
  
His light haired partner laughed slightly. "I know. Everyone wants a piece of someone in there. They're all animals."  
  
"Well, luckily I was the first animal to get the first piece," Dee yawned out the words, smirking. He was not even trying to be serious anymore. Things were just so relaxed with Ryo lately, that he was loving every moment of it. How long had he been waiting to come to this point? The point where they could relax, and joke with each other? Hearing Ryo laugh, that was the greatest thing in the world. "Actually you're right, they're all pigs like me ... except maybe Drake and JJ, I think that could work someday."  
  
Ryo was not one to gossip. He had been taught as a boy, that it was the wrong behavior, and it didn't hold up to his ethics even now. There was something wrong with talking about other people's personal lives. He had always been so nervous that people were talking about him; at least when he was younger, and a little more insecure. Yet now he was curious to hear what Dee had to say. The office romances were interesting, to say the least. "You think so?" he asked, hoping Dee might continue.  
  
"Yeah," Dee said, in a laid back manner. "It gets JJ off my back... and Drake actually enjoys the attention, as much as he goes off about how annoying it is."  
  
"Hehe ... I hope that it does work," Ryo said silently. "The others are just quick things. But I don't know why they'd choose to have their brief relationships where they work. It's too private... I would rather..."  
  
"Oh," Dee taunted, grinning. "Has my itty-bitty Ryo had some experience with the quick fling or two?"  
  
Ryo shook his head, reddening. Dee burst out, but quickly contained himself from laughing. "Never mind," he said, trying not to say anything stupid. "Don't worry about it- no prying coming from me."  
  
Then all at once, the telephone rang. The loud, irritating bell rang out from Ryo's kitchen, making Dee cringe. "I hate telephones!" he complained. "Why do they always interrupt the best moments? When we move in together, then I will ban you from EVER carrying one of those unholy, devil made things. I've already told everyone to only call me in emergencies. I've got to unplug that thing sooner or later." Dee smiled proud of his accomplishments against the offensive invention.  
  
"Aw c'mon," Ryo said gently and bent over to quickly kiss the side of Dee's face, before turning away to go answer the call of the loud ringing.  
  
"Hurry up Ryo ..." Dee whispered. "It's been three hours since we've been together, and I'm eager..."  
  
"Shut up Romeo, and let me answer the phone... I'll be right back!" Ryo yelled this from the kitchen. Dee chuckled politely, taking a slow sip of the deep red liquid in his glass. Ryo's place was so nice compared to his, but so much smaller. Yet it was the perfect place to be together. And Ryo, who was supposed to be so reserved and practical – had lit all of these candles, and moved all the furniture. Truth was – his Ryo was as much as a silly romantic as he was .  
  
He was overjoyed that he'd finally gotten everything he wanted from his relationship with Ryo. From the minute the young man had walked into the Chief's office, he knew that something was going to happen between them. He honestly didn't know the nature of it – and at sometimes had screwed things up so badly with his immaturity, his lies, and his desire for his partner. Yet they were here... were they not?  
  
"Where is that totally inconsiderate man anyway?" he asked, when he stared at the wall clock to realize that Ryo had been in the kitchen, on the phone for over ten minutes. Ryo was very considerate of other's, so something was up. "Hmm... guess I'll have to get him all by myself."  
  
Dee stood up and walked from the table set in the living room, to the walled off kitchen area. It was perfectly dark, as though Ryo had never even turned on a light to answer the phone. Dee flicked the switch, and almost yelled out in shock.  
  
Ryo was curled up on the floor, in the corner. He was sitting upright, staring at the floor, holding his knees to his chest. "Ryo ... what's wrong?" Dee asked, concerned, moving towards his partner rapidly.  
  
There seemed to be a barrier, holding him back from getting to Ryo. He was helpless, and could do nothing to help whatever this was. There was no sound, or sufficient air in the room and everything felt hollow. Ryo's jet black eyes were blank, and Dee's stomach twisted just watching him like this. Why was time stilling all of a sudden?  
  
"There's no way..." Ryo whispered, pressing his head against his knees. "They don't deserve... and Ari doesn't either. Is she even alive?" It was apparent that Ryo was thinking aloud, a habit of his own, and Dee was not in his mindset. He probably couldn't even see the man hovering next to him. Ryo continued to rant on in broken speech : "The other man... he was severely intoxicated... Rick's a great driver, perfect record. Not a chance... nuh uh. No way are they gone, it's a complete lie."  
  
Then everything clicked in Dee's mind. He could picture an image from a few months back. Ryo had been talking to him, about how his aunt and uncle were visiting, as they had three months earlier. "I mean, you'll love them Dee. They are just the perfect people, but don't let Elena catch anyone calling her perfect. What other person could ask for the most perfect godparents, in his aunt and uncle? And their baby Ari, Dee, she's the prettiest kid ever."  
  
That was it. A driver under the influence, Ryo's aunt and uncle, the fate of Ari – who happened to be the couple's baby daughter of recent. Dee knew, and felt the barrier stronger than ever when he realized the damage. Ryo's aunt and uncle had to be dead.  
  
Suddenly he lost all respect for Ryo's mental privacy. Seeing Ryo sitting there, his body drawn closed, while he shook and whined in pain, was too much. Trembling himself, Dee shattered the wall between them and rushed Ryo straight into his arms. He gripped Ryo as tightly as his body possibly could hold. Ryo's rough clothing brushed him, so he only squeezed tighter. Dee couldn't speak to him.  
  
"I don't understand what Uncle Nevan said!" Ryo burst out hysterically, suddenly violently thrashing out of Dee's arms. Dee held tight though, and Ryo gave up panting the words, "Let me go."  
  
"Do you want me to?" Dee asked softly, moving to leave, but Ryo latched onto him.  
  
"Stay," Ryo panicked, his heart thumping against Dee. Dee could feel the beating against him, as it ran through both of them. Then it slowed alarmingly, and Ryo went slack in his arms, lying against his chest. Everything halted, leaving Dee in a slow moving horror. He felt a little helpless, but it still was as though nobody had died. There was no sadness here, just horror stricken men.  
  
Ryo wanted to talk, to say anything to Dee about how he was feeling, but couldn't. He wanted to hear Dee say that things would be all right but he couldn't. It was too soon. The way his distant uncle Nevan had told him was too cruel. He was in total shock, his mind numb. He couldn't even force his brain to work. Those words on the telephone were so cold.  
  
"Sorry to be the one to tell you, but Elena and that no good husband of hers died this weekend, in a car crash... Both dead, that's for sure... Don't know what to tell you about their brat... Didn't hear much about her, but I think she might be with Evelen!... Evelen was bawling about something on the phone, about you being the person written down for legal guardianship. I'm sorry if you are the brat's legal guardian."  
  
He was too weak, too shocked. He settled himself on the floor, and just stared at the clean white tiles. They connected in strange diamonds, all around him. Elena and Rick dead... it couldn't be...  
  
After fifteen minutes of lying semi-conscious in Dee's arms, Ryo finally spoke. "Dee, I'm just so tired..." he said in a low voice.  
  
"Do you- do you want me to take you to bed?" Dee asked softly, his voice soft, as though Ryo would break with loud noise. When the smaller man nodded, Dee all but picked him up. Ryo seemed so light and his breathing was so slow. Could grief really do this to someone? Or was it just the shock?  
  
Dee quietly set Ryo down on his bed, and threw back the blankets. He slowly pulled off Ryo's clothes, and replaced them with some pajamas from his drawer. When he was sure that Ryo was comfortable, he looked into his lover's eyes. He was in shock, that was for sure. He'd seen it enough, being years trained for this type of emotional trauma. It was worse in Ryo's dark eyes still, because of the way Dee loved him.  
  
"Why you?" Dee asked, a tremor running through his chest. He was honestly worried. He'd rarely saw Ryo this way... he was broken down.  
  
He pulled the blankets over Ryo's unmoving, soundless form. Time ticked by, as he stared at the beautiful body, tears welling up in his eyes. It had only been about an hour since he'd found Ryo crashed on the floor, the broken telephone shattered besides him. He didn't fully understand anything and it was awful. "Come on Dee..." came a soft spoken voice.  
  
Dee blinked, turning his head sharply. Ryo had called him. "What is it?" Dee gulped, when the painful words game out of his mouth. "What do you need?"  
  
"Get in here," Ryo whispered softly, and then fell back into the shocked slumber. He didn't seem to be responding again, so Dee edged into the soft blanket, and pressed his body against Ryo. He was shaking terribly. Dee tried to still it, but it was to nothing, and Ryo jerked and turned around to where his back was facing Dee. The man stared at the form, fear inside of him at being shut out. He knew it was stupid to be afraid, when Ryo had only known of these deaths a little more than an hour, but he was afraid anyway. Dee had known plenty of death in his life, but had never seen it reacted to in such a way.  
  
-.-.-  
  
Five hours later, Dee was still awake, though it seemed that Ryo had drifted to a half sleeping state. He gently rubbed Ryo's back, feeling the other man breath deeply. He wondered if Ryo could actually be sleeping, and in so much pain. He pulled back the blankets away from the sweat covered body, and smiled at it amazed. Ryo would always be so strong, unbending even in such pain.  
  
The night was long, and neither of them really slept. Dee was so worried about Ryo, that he could barely move his eyes away from the turned back. And the shock was too much for Ryo ... he could barely move. Finally, Ryo's alarm clock went off, and the radio started playing a loud rock song.  
  
"Dee, I told you a million times," Ryo mumbled in a routine voice. "Set it to alarm three, the buzzer. I don't need this loud stuff in the morning."  
  
Dee looked at Ryo in amazement. It was as though everything was normal, and the last night had not been slow horror for the both of them. Ryo pulled things together- and a little too quickly. He wondered how much of a nasty shock today would be on poor Ryo. He was liable to fall apart, the way he acted. Being with Ryo for years had taught Dee one thing... if Ryo acted okay, he wasn't.  
  
"Sure, whatever you want," he replied, barely a whisper.  
  
Ryo waited for Dee to leave the room, but the dark haired man remained, staring at him like he would break. He felt an odd fluttering inside of him, that was thankful for the concern. Yet it ate at him as badly as the shock Uncle Nevan had gave when he called last night, and carelessly announced the deaths of the family outcasts. He didn't want Dee worried - he was strong and he could handle it. "Come on, let's go," Ryo said brightly. "It's already eight! You know what kind of havoc those children could have been wrecking by now."  
  
"Yeah..." Dee said quietly, wondering what was really happening. He followed the other man into the front room of the house, still done neatly from last night's dinner. Ryo and Dee both ignored it, and walked right past it, to find Bikky sitting quietly in the front room.  
  
"Hey!" he said the moment he saw the two men awake. "What's up with all of this stuff in the front room?"  
  
Ryo moved to answer, but Dee was quick to put a hand to his arm and take the pressure off of him. He smirked suggestively, "Would you like me to tell you?"  
  
"No!" snapped the blonde teenager, his face contorted at the idea of hearing another one of Dee's exaggerated tales. "No big deal. Not -that- important."  
  
Ryo walked around the room, wafting confused and dazed. Dee looked on in curiosity. It was obvious that Bikky had picked up on whatever was going down as well, and the tension levels started to rise. Ryo sat down on the sofa, and Bikky eyed Dee quizzically. Dee shot an annoyed gaze at the child, and smiled forcefully, "Go on and sit down Bikky. I'll cook something up for you two."  
  
Dee walked into the kitchen, looking back through the door nervously. Ryo was on the sofa, not speaking to Bikky, who looked on terrified. He paid no attention as he made the food. It wasn't as if he was the chef... he mused silently, that without Ryo both he and Bikky would starve. He laughed at his own joke, realizing that it eased the tension in his body.  
  
He returned several moments later, carrying food. He handed one of the bowls to each of them, and sat down with his own food. Nobody said a single word for a long time. The silence just about broke Dee down. "How ya doing?" he finally asked Ryo, his voice barely coming out.  
  
"I'm fine," the light haired man seemed to mumble, his eyes suddenly cast down towards his food. Ryo didn't want to talk to Dee. He would rather be in this horrible awkward silence, then talk to Dee. Dee would try to be some kind of macho, comforting him. He really didn't want that type of confrontation with his feelings - especially in front of Bikky. He had to find a way to think clearly. " I'm sorry if you are the brat's legal guardian." That was what Nevan had said. He knew for a fact that Rick and Elena had specified him as a legal guardian in their wills.  
  
He didn't want to confess how he was feeling. He didn't want to feel anything!  
  
Soon, he was taken back to the world of feelings, when he heard Dee's subdued voice tell Bikky to go up to his room and get dressed. Wordlessly, the young teen obeyed, making Ryo feel a strong respect for Dee that he never had felt before. "Listen Ryo," Dee said softly, looking him in the eye, making him duck away from the gaze. "I know it's in your personality to hold things in, and I would never try and change that... but ..."  
  
Dee did not want to sound intelligent, or in any way patronizing. He did not know what Ryo was going through. Sure, he'd experienced many life altering deaths, but he didn't react the same way as his partner. He couldn't find the words. "Never mind it Ryo," he said shaking his head, and stood up to take the man into his arms.  
  
Ryo gasped at Dee's quick embrace. "Dee you don't have to!"  
  
"I know." Dee quickly let go of Ryo, and walked over towards the kitchen. "I'll call us both in on personal emergency, okay? We've built up a few vacation days this year."  
  
Just as Dee's left hand pushed at the doorknob, Ryo spoke loudly. "Don't do that," Ryo said quickly. "No... there's no reason for not working. We both have second shift today and we should be there."  
  
Dee felt a slight stabbing inside him, as Ryo once again tried to avoid the truth of what had happened to him. He had to take some form of control. "Please?" he asked calmly. "It's Saturday, Bike's home from school, and we should stay together. It's too much stress after..." But he stopped. He did not want to say anything about the deaths in Ryo's family, when Ryo himself was not yet ready to acknowledge them as real.  
  
"Whatever," Ryo said, nodding, annoyed. He stamped off towards the bedroom. "I'm going to at least dress myself properly, okay?"  
  
Dee stared astonished. Yet he forced himself to make the call to the twenty seventh precinct. He knew that his lover had a unique way of dealing with a lot of things - hate, anger, love... but it was now obvious that he dealt with grief oddly as well.  
  
Several seconds later, Bikky came pounding back into the front room. The kid's expression immediately got to Dee, before Bikky even started speaking. "What the heck is wrong with him?!?"  
  
"Calm down," Dee said softly, unable to deal with his former worst nightmare. "Just calm down all right!"  
  
"Then tell me what's wrong!"  
  
"Okay, okay..." Dee said quietly. He did not feel prepared for the usual round of fighting. "Man, I'm surprised a brat like you picked up on this so fast."  
  
"Of course I did," the kid said sarcastically. "He doesn't tell anybody how he feels 'bout something."  
  
"Wow." Dee could admit that he was honestly shocked. It had taken him years to figure that about Ryo, yet this kid seemed to have known for a long time. He had to explain, "His only close family members were killed the other night in a car crash."  
  
For a moment, everything seemed to go silent again, as Dee watched Bikky think over the situation. "You okay kid?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," Bikky replied. "It just makes sense ,doesn't it? It's not like I don't know what it's like. A lot of people died back where I used to live. I felt the same way he probably does."  
  
Dee was curious now, as to how the kid felt about this. "Ryo brought you in when you were really young. You knew that many?"  
  
"Of course," replied the teenager. "It's not easy to forget."  
  
Dee muttered softly, a bit surprised. Bikky was really a sharp kid, for such and arrogant little street punk. He picked up on things really fast now. He smiled, knowing that there had been one good influence, responsible for that - Ryo. "We'll just watch out for him, and try to play along," Dee said silently, as the door to Ryo's room burst open, and a fully dressed Ryo emerged.  
  
"So, what do you assume we do now?" Ryo asked, his voice betraying his usually kind nature.  
  
Dee knew Bikky's eyes were locked on him, expecting him to do something to help out. It was funny how the child who hated him most, depended on him now to keep things running smoothly. "We'll stay here, together," Dee said, standing close to Ryo. He gently planted a kiss onto the side of Ryo's face. "We'll do whatever you want us to do, okay?"  
  
Ryo nodded, his cheerfulness painful. He thoughts were spinning. 'You know what I want?' he thought, ' I want to be normal. I want you both to stop. Stop looking at me. They're gone already, and I may be Ari's parent! This is... this is too much.'  
  
Then, when Dee backed off, his newly adopted teenaged son, moved closer to him. The boy's hand reached out and touched Ryo's shoulder. "I'm gonna go," he said respectfully, "and leave you alone. Try to talk while I'm gone."  
  
"Bikky what do you..." Ryo started.  
  
"Remember what you told me, 'bout my dad." Bikky walked out of the house, and Dee nodded, approving. The tough teenager was a lot like him. He wouldn't admit to keeping good words with him, but he could leave them for Ryo to take along.  
  
As soon as the door slammed, Dee sat down. "Kid's not half bad," he mumbled, grinning.  
  
Ryo nodded, wiping at a tear threatening his eyes. His heart stopped. He felt comfortable, safe even. He wished Dee would not do that! He didn't want to feel safe, because it made him betray how he was feeling to Dee. He just wanted it inside.  
  
And what Bikky had said...  
  
Both of them were so brutally honest, so open to all of their emotions. They terrified him sometimes. "Yeah Dee," he mumbled, and sat on the sofa next to his lover, sighing. Dee leaned against him, dropping his head down to Ryo's shoulder, and silently whispering.  
  
"He's a good kid that's for sure," Dee whispered. "You really had us both in worried, you know?"  
  
"I'm a lucky person," Ryo sniffed. "I'm sorry for making you hurt. I couldn't ask for a better family... but Dee, I admit that I am scared."  
  
"It's okay to be scared, Ryo," Dee said smiling slightly, and brushing away the hair from Ryo's face. "It is."  
  
"I didn't get enough information either..." Ryo groaned. "I mean it's enough that their gone, but Nevan didn't even tell me - if they were having a funeral... or if their daughter is alive. Who's raising the kid ... and how's everything back upstate going - without Elena. I don't want to do this Dee. I want to pretend it's not real. I'm not even worried about my family – I hate them all. I just want to know how Elena's best friend Evelen and her baby Ari are doing. Dee, Nevan said that Evelen was crying to him about how Elena left the girl to me. I am listed as a legal guardian in the case of their dying."  
  
"No," Dee said harshly. "One obstacle at a time. First your aunt and uncle, and then their kid." Of course he was worried as well, about the responsibility in Ryo's future. Fathering his aunt and uncle's baby could very well be in the future...  
  
Ryo leaned into Dee's chest, an in an instant he was okay with opening up. He buried his face in the soft material of Dee's shirt, and tried to relax his trembling heart. Words of advice, the words Bikky had spoken of... played through his mind.  
  
Don't keep things bottled up inside. Then there was another piece of advice that Dee and Bikky knew nothing of. The advice Elena had given him at his parent's funeral. She seemed so smart, yet he hadn't wanted to let go of his emotions to her either. Yet he did. "It's not good to hold back, when the only thing you want to do is cry." Finally, he tried at giving in.  
  
He dropped down, and Dee could feel his heart slow down. Ryo looked up at him with teary eyes. Ryo gasped, his chest heaving as he tried to talk. "I'm sorry for making the morning miserable. I won't hold back this time." And he did what Elena said was right, when in pain. He cried. He cried in worry... he cried in frustration... and he cried in sadness.  
  
'What if...' his relentlessly aching mind continued on. 'What if they died, leaving their baby Arianne to defend herself in my family? What if Ari needs me to come in and pull her out of that place. I'll have to call Evelen if she doesn't call me. I need to keep that child safe. I need to... do something. 


	2. Confusion's Sound

=======  
  
Bikky barely got recognition from the woman at the front door. She nodded to him, saying just "she's in her room. Knock on the door first, would you?"  
  
"Sure," he replied, nodding at Cal's aunt. The woman was always cold, it didn't bother him that much. Even though he was much younger than her niece, this woman was overprotective. Cal said it was because her aunt had learned about how she'd been living - boldly, yet unjustly. She said that her aunt never wanted to see her acting like a common criminal again.  
  
He opened the front door, and walked inside of the house. It wasn't half as bad as it used to be. The house was much more orderly and clean, and some things had been picked up, due to the additional money the family had obtained through odd jobs. He moved down the narrow hallway, and knocked at the faded door.  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"Me," he said quickly, as the door opened to reveal a smiling girl.  
  
"Bikky?" she asked, curiously. "It's early. What are you doing here?"  
  
He stammered, not knowing exactly how to word things. "Things are freaked out at home, and I had to leave them alone. I thought coming over here would be ... best."  
  
She studied him carefully. "What exactly is wrong? Are Ryo and Dee okay?"  
  
He did not have the right words to say. He couldn't lie to her about how confused and upset they all felt this morning. He could lie to anyone in the world, except Cal... and maybe Ryo in some instances. "Well no," he said, sitting down next to her window. "Ryo... his close relatives, the aunt and uncle that visited us a few months back, they died in a car crash."  
  
The girl watched with an alarmed look. Truthfully she knew little of what to say. Ryo's relatives were the nicest people, from what she remembered, and she knew that her beloved police detective must have been hurting a lot for Bikky to come to her for actual help. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "I bet he's so messed up right now..."  
  
"You know him," Bikky replied, running a hand against the dusty windowsill. "Won't admit to anyone how he's feeling. Sure has left the loser feeling left out. I mean it only happened yesterday, but it's already scary. He's different then most people, he can't just act screwed up for awhile and bounce back. He's ..."  
  
"Oh poor Dee. Yeah, it is like Ryo to do things like this... he's real emotional, but that's not a bad thing, you know?"  
  
"It's so weird," Bikky complained.  
  
"I don't really know, but I think it's harder on people like Ryo. Give him time, both of you. When my mother died... I was ten years old but I still remember how my dad took it. He was real sick always - and a criminal, but you would never imagine how much he was like your dad. Took him years to fully admit that Mom had died. He went along, in this odd happy way, and would just lash out at me to express his - erm- feelings."  
  
"I think it'll last awhile like this. There's other stuff. Don't know what, but it's easy to pick up on."  
  
"I think you could be nice and not cause them trouble for awhile," Cal remarked sarcastically, knowing that even in these times that'd be difficult, especially for people like Bikky and Dee, who had to be at each other's throats. "Let's keep out of there way too. If Ryo can take it, I think there's only one person to give him help."  
  
"Thanks," he said, honestly thankful for her advice. It hadn't been much, but calming enough. "You're right, I admit it."  
  
"No problem Bikky," she said smiling, grabbing hold of his hand. "Now while Dee takes care of Ryo, I'll have to take care of you."  
  
"I don't need..." he muttered, then he realized she was joking. She had the most unusual sense of humor. "Thanks."  
  
- - -  
  
Back in Ryo's apartment, things remained as awkward as they had been. Ryo sat, awkwardly positioned in an armchair at the corner of the room, with a old looking book in his hands. Dee watched Ryo from the opposite side of the room, staring intently. Watching Ryo read was usually an enjoyable activity, but today it was painful.  
  
Little did he know, Ryo was watching him as well. He had not read one word of the faded text in this old story, even though he'd been reading for hours. He finally exploded, sick of Dee peering at him with those deep green eyes. "Please Dee, I'm not going to blow up," he snapped from under the coverage of the brown leather cover.  
  
"I know," Dee said softly, not moving or faltering. Ryo vaguely wondered how loyal Dee could get. He was the best that anyone could have, and Ryo knew he wasn't helping the loyalty. He just couldn't open up as much as he wanted to!  
  
Ryo dared to peek over the book at Dee, and he saw those unwavering eyes. He finally was moved to say something about how he felt. "I want the call to come Dee," he said, barely audible. "Nevan said hardly anything in that call. They're dead and that's that. I want to know what's going on! I just don't want to disturb Elena's friend Evelen... I know she's devestated."  
  
Finally, unmoving Dee stood up. The muscles in his legs and back ached, from sitting there for hours, staring down Ryo. He stepped across the room, and wrapped his arms around Ryo's shoulders. "It'll all sort out. You give your aunt's friend some time, and I'm sure you can sort things out. But I'll be right here with you."  
  
Ryo suddenly laughed. "I can't believe that I'm saying their dying will be sort out by one call! They aren't -dead. Dead. You'd think losing my parents would make it a little easier to lose them. Dee they're just so irreplaceable."  
  
"I know they are," Dee said, kneeling by the armchair, and thinking of his own losses. "A lot of irreplaceable people end up leaving us. God, if only I'd known that last night would end in such disaster, I'd make things different. I couldn't save them - but maybe I could do..."  
  
"They were just so important," Ryo ranted, his eyes unfocused, as if Dee wasn't even in the room. Dee tried to calm his pounding heart, knowing that Ryo had to rant now, about his feelings. " I mean, Elena was- is, the nicest woman ever. Even before she began to raise me, she was always there for me. She was my father's little sister and he was... he was crazy about her. Then after... she protected me with such a fire , Dee! She'd do anything for her dignity, or mine. What other person in the world would take in her brother's child... who she could have left alone."  
  
Dee nodded to Ryo, with a glint in his eyes. Ryo knew that Dee could think of one man who did the same thing as Elena. That man had died young as well. It seemed like influential men and women died young, leaving people hurt. Dee nodded to coax Ryo to continue his speech.  
  
"God Dee, I can't do this. Elena was too strong to be gone. She loved me more than I deserved. And her husband! Oh man, Rick... Dee, when I said I wanted to be a cop - as bold as she was, Elena was scared, but Rick urged her to let me try and shoot for my dreams. He was always so accepting of everything. He was smart, and so brave. But there was tenderness to his rough side, and that's why Elena loved him so much. He would just sit there, pipe in hand like always, and tell me and Elena how crazy we were." When he faltered, Dee held a hand to his chest, trying to calm him. His face finally fell, and his heart broke on contact with Dee's hand.  
  
He wept, unable to control the levels of pain running through him. He whined, a low sound coming from his body, and then with a single force, clung onto Dee's form. Dee, still on his knees, held Ryo tight to his chest. "Oh God, they can't be dead Dee!" he whimpered, holding tighter. He was letting go and that was all that was necessary. He burst, not caring for looking stupid. "People like them don't die! Why would anyone want to wipe them out? If the drugged jerk didn't die in the crash, I would murder him - for taking them! It isn't real -- I don't think it will be until I see their bodies for myself. I mean, what is death if you don't see it right in front of you? Maybe it never happened. Gah, that sounded confusing! It's all so confusing right now."  
  
"It's not, it's just not fair..." Dee mumbled, his head tucked against Ryo's neck. "I know it hurts so bad,and I don't know why anyone would want to see someone like you, or your family, hurt. Things just happen."  
  
"It could have been any... any one of those lowlife jerks in my famil..my family... but not Elena and her husband. They were the only other ... decent people in my life and my family. And I'm worried that beautifu Arianne is with those vile people! I feel like she's mine Dee... and I don't want her to suffer that. I know from awhile back that she put me down as Arianne's legal guardian, in case of something like that. I just can't rise to something like that..."  
  
Ryo had ceased yelling, and was now just talking. Dee knew that Ryo, much like himself in the face of death, would have nights in the months and years to come, where he'd be unable to sleep because of the loneliness and pain. The memories would be too much. Rick and Elena had been gone for about a day in Ryo's mind, and he was still in shock. The outbursts, the melting; it was all a little piece of chipping emotion. He could hold it in right now, he could be strong.  
  
"It'll all end up okay, Ryo. It'll get hard, but remember that you're still in shock. You do have family living, and we'll be loving you."  
  
"Thanks Dee, but if Rick and Elena can be pushed off the face of the earth, then anything can happen. I'll have to learn to fight my own battles. If only that call would come. The money... the funeral... their daughter... what's going on? I wish I knew."  
  
"It'll work, it'll work."  
  
Ryo was tortured by memories that told him how Arianne would be his child. Rick and Elena were never people to look to the future until their baby came into their lives, three years ago. Ryo knew that. Elena was lucky to have had a baby at her age, and the fact that she almost did not get pregnant in time, terrified her. He remembered two years back, talking to an overly anxious Elena, about then baby Ari's custody in case of emergency. He had been freaked out by Elena's request, and her movement towards practicality. "We have a daughter, honey," Elena had said, grinning. "I can't live my life on the edge now... a will makes sense."  
  
"But Elena... it's not like anything will ever happen to you guys."  
  
"Ryo, listen to your aunt," Rick said from his chair. "Elena knows what she's talking about. We have to prepare for the unexpected. If one of us died and the other wasn't around for Ari... who would be there for the baby?"  
  
"I dunno Rick," Ryo admitted dully. "It's just that I hate to look at things like that. I'm practical too. A lot of people write out wills, settle things in case they die, but to see you guys do it is a little disheartening. It's like you've changed..."  
  
"I know, it's a lot less glamourous then our lives have been," Rick mumbled laughing. "Elena and I have been known to have a lot of fun with our lives. But we're adults with a baby and we have to balance what we've done with what we need to do. Take care of Ari and our possesions if anything happens."  
  
"Honey, you don't have to agree to this..." Elena said softly, "But I need to know that if Rick and I were to - be gone unexpectedly, that Ari would have a great home life. She's a good girl and deserves to be safe from being dropped off into our family. And Rick's got a small family, but they aren't great home raisers. I want you to take care of Ari."  
  
Ryo had then looked down at the smiling baby and told her. "Your mama's changing Arianne," he had said to the baby, winking. "Don't worry though. Yeah Elena, I'd do it, of course. If anything ever happened she'd have a home with me. I make good money and everything in her life would be happy."  
  
He also had a memory of meeting Arianne three months ago. She had just turned three years old then. When he asked her what her name was, she said it so clearly. "My name is Arianne." She was an extraordinary kid, and Rick and Elena were so incredibly proud of their young child. Now what would happen to Arianne, with her pretty eyes, and precocious voice? He did not have a clue. 


	3. Panic

The call that Ryo waited for, did not come.  
  
On that Monday, life was forced to resume, everything seeming as though it was completely normal. Dee could not help feel confused, because he was the only one's whose world had stoppepd for Ryo. The rest of the world kept on going. Ryo promised Dee that he was well enough to work, but it was hard for Dee to let Ryo go.  
  
Ryo wasn't one to take the easy route out of his feelings. If it had been someone elses problems, Dee figured they would be disabled from real life, crying and drowning out their sorrows. Not Ryo though, he would see his pain through. Maybe his way was best.  
  
Ryo had begged him, before they had arrived, not to tell anyone about his problems. "I mean," Ryo said lightly. "I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm looking for something normal, and a bit of relief from waiting for Evie to call. Don't make it worse, please." So of course Dee had obeyed him, but it did not make it any easier.  
  
The moment they entered the office building of the 27th precint, they were swamped with a brand new case. They opened the door, and Ted slowly strode towards them. "Glad you're both back guys," the red-haired man said quickly, stopping abrubtly and thrusting a file into Ryo's hands. "Commissioner Rose sent in this order, for you two to haul over to this place, and check an old abandoned warehouse. We think it may be the methamphetamine lab Drake's been writing up files on. Drake and JJ are already down there, with squads of backup and clearing equiptment, but they can't move in without the two of you. This situation's going to get out of hand fast, and they're waiting. Hurry up okay?"  
  
Dee nodded slightly, motioning for the man to walk past them. "You up for it?" he asked Ryo gently, his hand brushing up against his partner's.  
  
The other man nodded, but Dee could feel the tremor course through him. He was nervous, and emotionally a total wreck. He was not doing well, as much as his cheerful face denied that. "I'll be right here," Dee mumbled into Ryo's ear, holding onto his hand gently. "I can handle everything. I'll make sure it's not too much for you..."  
  
The wearhouse was not very far from the office building of the 27th precint. Dee was actually somewhat surprised by the closeness. They did not have to be right next to a drug lab to feel the danger. He nodded, looking at the shabby place over the car's dashboard. "Why is it always an abandoned warehouse?" Dee mumbled, jokingly. Ryo turned back and nodded, as he stepped out of the car.  
  
"This feels like a cheezy drug ring movie," Ryo snickered, resting a hand on the gun that sat at his side. He felt anxious, jumpy almost. He realized suddenly that he was probably not fit for this type of assignment, but sucked in a deep breath of air and continued to the front, where they met their collegues. Being within a hundred miles of one of these labs was a potential danger, with things like toxic gases, explosions and fires to worry about. It was a dangerous case for someone with a lot on his mind. 'I just hope Dee has a clear enough mind for the both of us,' he thought.  
  
"Hey," Dee said quickly, looking at the two Detectives who were staring at the enterance to the building. "What's going down?"  
  
Drake Parker turned around, and nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied to see them there at last. "Hey, glad you guys made it," he said quickly. "Some of the characters coming in and out of this wearhouse, make it almost impossible to believe that it isn't a narcotics lab. JJ and I have been chasing after a major producer, and this may be the end of his run."  
  
"You guys okay?" JJ asked, staring especially at Ryo. Ryo cursed the younger Detective's sensitivity, but it really didn't matter. He needed his senses clear, and could think of nothing else but the mission at hand. "Oh yeah, we're fine," Ryo said quickly. "This is a tense situation of course."  
  
"Let's get this one over with boys," Dee said, his determination rising, when he saw the frustration and worry in Ryo's voice. He grinned slyly. "Let's not let these guys know what hit them. No more formalities."  
  
"Agreed," JJ said, nodding, heading to the back of them. "Bust then?"  
  
"Yeah," Dee said, looking to Drake and Ryo who both nodded. This area was bad as it could be expected. Ryo couldn't help but notice signs of the poor area, as they headed towards the door. JJ and Ryo stayed near the rear, JJ prepared for an emergency shot, if the other's came in the need of protection. The backup was standing around the room, with preparations ready for explosives, firearms, and most of all toxics. Busting a drug operation was one of the most dangerous jobs these Detectives knew of.  
  
Dee broke down the door, cracking at the rusty bolt quickly. "NYPD."  
  
The arrests were quick. There were about ten sleazy looking men in the room, all pouring themselves over some type of chemical production and talking loudly. They were all highly intoxicated, and reached for weapons the moment the officers bust in. Yet ten to about fifty men on the force was not a match up. Even though they were on the drugs, they were quickly taken down. They were a messy group who had not been expecting intrustions. In the few drug busts in his life, Ryo knew this for a fact - drug producers were too confident.  
  
"Told you this would be over quickly," Dee said comfortingly, as he and Ryo scanned the grounds, while Drake and JJ went to oversee the confiscation of drugs and the chemicals used to make them, and the operations of destroying the site. "It wasn't too hard."  
  
"You were right Dee," Ryo replied, smiling slightly. "I guess it wasn't so stressful after all... Let's get out of here before toxic fumes become our problem. Hold on!"  
  
"What?" Dee asked, but before Ryo could reply, Dee knew what was going on. In front of them lay several mangled bodies. The bodies were mostly of frail men, in their mid twenties. They were all addicts, murdered brutally. Dee groaned, annoyed, and Ryo simply backed away, and stared at the corner wall.  
  
Dee came running within seconds. "You okay Ryo?" he asked, running a hand through his own hair nervously. He placed a hand on his lover's back protectively. "Ryo?"  
  
"I'm all right Dee," Ryo replied, his breath hard. "It's just that the stress - I guess it's getting to me. I wasn't ready to come back. You know I'm not so sensitive to ... seeing things ... but today it just packs on too much. I'll be all right, it's just too much intensity. These guys..."  
  
Now officers packed around them, and gawked at the dead body. "I'll put in a call to the coroner, to get this out of here," JJ whispered softly at Dee. He knew something was wrong with Ryo, but he was respectful and got out of there way. "I didn't expect to find any dead in here. We'll get 'em out before we destroy the drugs." The young man kept an eye on Ryo, who looked in danger of getting sick.  
  
"Thanks. He'll be all right," Dee promised, holding onto Ryo. "He's just ... don't worry about it."  
  
Ryo felt pain in his stomach and focused intently on Dee's arm around his shoulder. He didn't know why the dead men made him so ill. It was just the bodies, covered with bruises and lacerations, were to much to see right now. He could barely speak, or even see again... until he was back in the office building, with Dee holding him close to his body. Dee's warmth was comforting, and settled the sickness.  
  
"I'm so sorry Dee," Ryo mumbled into Dee's chest. "Sorry for getting sick like that... but seeing those bodies, shocked me a bit. It has nothing to do with- with what happened, but it... it does somehow."  
  
"It's okay," Dee said, his smile bright, but forced. "Really it is. I think maybe you should just stay home, until the stress - and the pain, lessen a bit. I don't want to see you feeling this way here, Ryo."  
  
"I know Dee..."  
  
"No you don't," Dee admitted, a sudden darkness dropping into his features. "Don't scare me okay... I want you to feel good. You need to let the feelings push themselves backwards, and that can take some time. I don't want to see you hurting. Especially not when your life is at risk."  
  
"I know Dee..."  
  
"Stop saying that," Dee whispered soothingly, holding the side Ryo's face. "Sit down, relax. We've got some paperwork and I'll handle it. I'll drive you home after our shift, and... and then you can..."  
  
Ryo sit down and Dee found himself lost for words. So he started sifting through case files, putting them away in the drawer. Ten minutes later, a very disgruntled, angry looking Cheif Smith entered their office with a crashing noise.  
  
Both men looked up alarmed.  
  
"MACLEAN!" the man shouted, making Ryo jump and Dee cringe. He threw a sheet of notepad paper towards Ryo. On it was a scrawled name and telephone number. "SOMEONE CALLED YOU! Said it was an emergency in your family and you need to call her! MAKE IT QUICK BEFORE I DECIDE IT'S NOT IMPORTANT!"  
  
The cheif turned, and slammed the door behind him. Ryo looked at the notebook paper, and Dee could have sworn then that he turned absolutely white. "Dee... it's Evelen," he mumbled, nodding slightly to confirm Dee's suspicious glance.  
  
Dee nodded, knowing that he had to take this moment, even if he was unprepared for it. Ryo needed this information to get through this time still remaining strong. "I'll leave..." he whispered, walking towards the door.  
  
"Stay." Ryo's mumbled reply was barely a whisper, but Dee heard it. He wordlessly, faithfully crossed the room, sitting down in a chair next to where Ryo was mounted by the telephone. Dee took Ryo's left hand, and gripped it tightly.  
  
Ryo's hands trembled, as he tried to punch the correct telephone number. The ringing taunted his ears, making him feel nausious. His stomach twisted when the ringing ceased to the slow speaking voice of an older woman he loved. He cringed but listened.  
  
"Hello?" the voice said slowly.  
  
"Evelen, it's me- Ryo," he said slowly, his mouth dry and trying to form correct sounding words. Suddenly, the woman on the other end of the telephone line burst into tears. If he could... Ryo would have been there consoling her. Here he had so little power over what was happening.  
  
"Shh Evelen," Ryo said calmly. "It's okay..."  
  
"I'm sorry dear," replied the somewhat frail voice. "It's just so nice to hear your voice Ryo. A friendly word for poor Elena, and her lovely husband is hard to come by in this place. I know it has only- only been a few days- but your hideous family members!"  
  
"I know, Nevan told me about them Evelen."  
  
"That man is wicked!" she groaned softly. "Ryo love, he's been taunting dear Arianne about her parents dying! I know our beloved Rick and Elena dying is tragic, and a pain we will never forget about - but we must keep Ari out of their hands. You are in Elena's will as her guardian. She needs you so much. And she needs you as quickly as possible." Ryo felt tears tease the corner's of his eyes. His stomach cramped at the idea of such a delicate looking little girl being taunted about something grown men didn't even understand well. "Evie, what can I do?" he groaned, actual tears falling.  
  
"Fly upstate as soon as possible!" yelled the voice. "It's a two hour flight from New York City, to get here to upstate New York. Nevan wasn't even polite enough to tell you -- I suppose, that Elena's will is being taken care of now and you are listed as the man who is expected to assume legal guardianship of her daughter. We must do this for Ari."  
  
Ryo could not surpress the gasp that escaped his lips. He gripped Dee's hand, squeezing it firmly. "Nevan was being really sarcastic."  
  
"Damn him," she whispered, sobbing. " He's only been here to ruin your happiness! I wish him nothing but the worse! You know his only mission, alone with those witches in your family, was to bring pain to good people like you, Elena and your father. It must hurt you to have lost them..."  
  
'Yes Evie it hurts," Ryo admitted, hiding his eyes away from Dee who stared down him intently. "Only good people like them could meet such a fate. It seems that only good people are punished with death." He felt Dee holding his hand, and breathed deeply.  
  
"Ryo I wish I could help you."  
  
"I know. I'll be upstate by tomorrow evening," he said quickly, his heart hurting more and more with each passing moment. Finally, once he hung up the phone, he let an anguished sob exit his body, and it felt very good. He turned to Dee ,and forced the dark haired man to let go of his hand. "I'm gonna go home," he whispered, taking control of himself. Dee was right, he didn't need to be at work on the verge of a mental breakdown. He needed to go home and rest, because he would be having a huge stressful trip coming up in his life. He needed to go home and think.  
  
To be completely honest, the prospect of raising a baby girl was terrifying. She was only three, and he was not one to take on such responsibility. He was a busy man, with a lot of priorities in his life. His own adopted son Bikky, Dee, his job... in all it was his life and Arianne would get in that way.  
  
But as Dee had said, he would have to think one obstacle at a time.  
  
- - -  
  
Dee finally agreed to remain at the office, with four more hours still on his shift. Ryo promised he would drive home and be all right. Plus Dee did have a lot of things to file, and a report to write up on his account of the days incident. So he did what he was supposed to do. Yet it only took about an hour for him to get a call from Bikky on his cell phone.  
  
"What is it?" Dee asked, his heart beating loudly, knowing exactly what it was. "What's wrong?"  
  
"He just came home," Bikky said quietly, whispering most likely so Ryo could not hear what he was saying. "He's crying, and just going on and on about responsibilities. He told me to go somewhere, and then locked himself in the room. He's talking to himself through the door. Should I do anything?"  
  
"Calm down," Dee said, though the idea of Ryo having a breakdown without him was harsh. "I'll hurry home as quickly as is possible. Don't disturb him. In fact why don't you leave? It might be better for him if you weren't there to make him feel more- responsible for anything.  
  
"What happened?" Bikky asked, then stopped as if he were pondering Dee's last words. .  
  
"I'll explain to you tonight," Dee said, genuinely worried about Bikky. "Really, if anything awful goes down I'll let you know."  
  
"Thanks," Bikky said, hanging up.  
  
-------- 


	4. Protection from Evils

Summary: Ryo visits his uncle's estate.  
  
----------  
  
Dee rushed home in an utter panic. He had tried his hardest, to get through the day's routine quickly, but it had been hard. He was just fortunate, that their had been no emergencies in the district, to keep him from getting home to where Ryo needed him. He felt guilty enough, staying at work when he should have been home.   
  
He found Bikky and Cal sitting on the front porch of Ryo's place. The young girl was holding the boy's hand, leaning against him. It was obvious from the way Bikky looked, that he was terrified for Ryo. Dee noted proudly, that Ryo had really been quite the father to Bikky for all of these years. Ryo was a father by nature. Yet from what he had heard... Ryo might end up becoming the adoptive father of another child, and that was too much of a responsibility.  
  
Inwardly, he knew that Ryo would do anything to give his guardian's child a chance to have a great life, even without biological parents. After all, they had given Ryo that when tragedy had taken away -his- parents. Yet he did not want his lover to throw away the life he'd made, all for a child. And that was what he'd be doing. Dee did feel an extreme fear involving the future, but he forced himself to think only about Ryo now, and how he was feeling.   
  
"He's inside, still locked in his room," Bikky said quickly, eying Dee nervously.  
  
"All right," he said quietly, staring at the door apprehensively. He wondered how Ryo was doing, all alone in there, as he must have been for four hours. "I'll go see how he is," he mumbled with a slightly parental sound to his voice. Before he made it all the way to the door, the teenaged girl had approached him from behind.  
  
"Bikky's really shaken up," she told him quietly, Bikky sitting as though he barely noticed. "I'll do my best for him, to help you guys, but you have to help Ryo. It's too much for Bikky to see his dad acting that way."   
  
"I'll do my best," Dee said softly, only echoing the girl's words. But he knew that he might be able to do little in the case now. Dying wasn't forever effecting the lives of the living, but being a parent was. Ryo would suffer over Arianne for a long time. It was deeper now. "Can you take Bikky home with you for the night? I'll call your aunt to tell her what happened at home."  
  
"Sure," she replied, oddly bright.  
  
"Behave... or not..." he mumbled as an afterthought. He just wanted to make things go well for these kids. They were young and innocent, and deserved fun, not death. They didn't have to deal with painful situations, because of their youth. He wasn't going to see two teens taking on adult- like burdens. Let kids be kids, he thought laughing to himself.   
  
The entire place was dark. Not one single light shone in the house, except for the sliver of light creeping from beneath Ryo's bedroom door. Dee walked towards it, his eyes dropping to the crack of light. "Can I come in?" he asked softly.   
  
"Yes," he heard Ryo's voice reply, soft and dry. He sounded as though he was exhausted, and Dee felt like pounding the door down just to get to him. Luckily, it wafted open when he turned the doornob. Ryo had the sense not to lock himself in at least.   
  
Ryo was sitting at the backboard of his bed, leaned up against it, covered in a blanket. His face was red, and streaked with tears. His nose was bright red and the waste bin beneath the bed was filled to the brim with tissues. He had been having emotional thoughts for the last hours.   
  
Wordlessly, Dee crawled onto the bed, and leaned against the headboard himself, pulling Ryo into his arms. Dee's arms around his thin shoulders, Ryo's chest heaved in a dry sob. He had hours ago ran out of tears to cry in grief, or worry. His head dropped against slightly taller Dee's chest, and Dee now held him close. This felt good, almost like a bit of relief. "H... How did the day... go?" Ryo said, barely able to speak.  
  
"Normal - awful," Dee mumbled, rocking Ryo in his arms. He didn't bother to ask how Ryo was ... or even why he'd been crying. It didn't matter. He didn't even bother to say that Ryo had left him hanging there, being afraid of making his lover feel guilty. Ryo blinked several times, still adjusting to not having tears left in him.   
  
"Was the case the man Drake was looking for?" Ryo mumbled, falling lower, to where he was lying on top of Dee. "Did it all work out?"  
  
"Yeah it did," Dee muttered, not knowing too much of what to say. "How are you holding up Ryo? It's not your fault really- but the kids are terrified."  
  
"They're kids, they should not have to deal with things like this," Ryo muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I scared them." Dee laughed to himself, upon hearing Ryo echo his thoughts from only moments before. They were so alike sometimes.   
  
"Don't worry, I sent Bikky out for tonight. I figured that you didn't want him around right now."   
  
"Thanks Dee," Ryo mumbled, looking down. "I absolutely don't want to hurt anyone!"   
  
"I understand. I completely understand."  
  
Yet then, something changed in Ryo's face. His dark eyes seemed a bit fogged, as if he were thinking really hard, looking back on something. Ryo then looked angry. "No, Dee you don't understand," he whispered, his voice rising with each word. "You couldn't ever understand me right now! You don't know how it feels to be the guardian of a two and a half year old child! You never had to realize that your family member was at the hands of - of those people in my family! You don't understand how awful they are. My dad and his sister were the exceptions, but everyone else is evil, caring for nobody but themselves! You couldn't understand how terrible this is!" With one single movement, Ryo propelled himself out of Dee's arms, and laid down next to him, crying silently.   
  
"I don't understand," Dee agreed, nodding. "Hey, actually I'm pretty dumb. But I do understand you, and I know you'll power your way through anything. Even if there is legal stuff involving this child, you'll end up doing what's best."  
  
Ryo laughed quietly, his rage dying away. "I'm sorry," he mumbled regarding the outburst. "I just lost it for a second. You're right Dee. With you around I'll handle it. It's just that I don't need the responsibility and it's freaking me out. I already have everything I could want with life - I want no more. But Dee... I have to go out to Elena's home, upstate. Most of my family lives upstate."  
  
"When?" Dee asked.  
  
"Tomorrow," Ryo said softly, turning around. "I already booked tickets on a flight there. It's only a short, two hour plane trip."  
  
"I hope you bought two tickets," Dee mumbled, making Ryo turn towards him. "Cause you're not going to go through all that stuff, with your idiot family members alone. Not while I'm here."  
  
At this, Ryo looked ready to cry again, but this time happily. "Oh Dee I did," Ryo muttered, his eyes showing how happy he truly was. "But I wasn't even going to ask you to deal with all of that."  
  
"I signed on for the job, of being with you," Dee said, close to Ryo's ear. "It was one hundred percent my choice, and this is part of the job."  
  
Ryo laughed politely. "You've been the sweetest to me," he mumbled, looking up into Dee's green eyes. "I appreciate it."   
  
"I love you, enough said," Dee declared.  
  
"I love you too," Ryo replied, leaning against Dee's shoulder.   
  
- - - -   
  
By the next morning everything was arranged. Cal's aunt agreed to watch after Bikky, while Ryo and Dee went upstate for a few days. They made it up there with perfect timing.  
  
When the plane landed in a small airport, they were immediately greeted by a elegant older woman. She immediately saw Ryo, and embraced him like he was her son. "Oh my Ryo," she declared amazed, "Elena was so right! You had grown so much in the past years."  
  
"Please Evie," Ryo replied, smiling, his eyes revealing that he was a little embarrassed. "Evie I'm not a little kid, and you saw me about three years ago."  
  
"But you have grown more beautiful!" she declared sternly. Then her focus turned to Dee, who had been watching the exchange appreciatively. "And who is this young man?"  
  
Dee remembered, and was stuck with a time when Ryo would be embarrassed to call themselves what they were, so it came as quite a shock when Ryo told the woman. "This is Dee, Evelen, we've been together for over a year now."   
  
Her eyes narrowed, as she studied Dee and Ryo carefully. Yet then her features softened, as she accustomed to the idea of them being a romantic couple. "What a handsome young man!" she declared, with no formality or shyness. "And such beautiful eyes... my Ryo has chosen well. Eyes are the windows to a person's soul - and this man must have a fine soul inside."  
  
Ryo laughed, the comment so characteristic to the woman. "Yes, I would say so," he chuckled. "So Evelen how are you holding up?"  
  
"All right," the woman responded, her features darkening slightly. "It is just hard to get by in the hostile presence of your family Ryo. Arianne has been spending many nights over at my house. She is right now with my daughter Caroline at your uncle's house."   
  
"It is so wrong to have her living with those people, at any moment," Ryo snapped, annoyed at the prospect of his family in that girl's life at all. As they walked towards the yellow cab, he wondered why.   
  
Evelen nodded. "Elena always told me that she'd have a baby once she settled down. Look at her Ryo, having that kid at thirty five years old. I know it is common for women to have babies late now, but it terrified me. Now she's gone and Arianne still needs a parent. I know you are who Elena would have wanted Ryo."   
  
A few more moments into the drive and Dee was forced to speak. He had tried to hold it in due to the fact that it would be impolite, but who was this friend of Ryo's aunt, to tell him that the baby was his responsibility? "Hey," he muttered, "Why can't you take in this kid?"  
  
Ryo looked at him angrily, when Evelen seemed a bit taken aback. Then he sighed relieved when Evelen dismissed his comment laughing. "Dear, he's not as smart as he looks," she whispered to Ryo. "I'm too old to raise a baby. I'm almost seventy three years old and have never been of fine health. It is too risky, and I could never provide that baby with the right kind of normal life."  
  
Ryo smiled, knowing Dee had not predicted Evelen's age correctly. Most thought her in her fifties, because of her cheerful attitude and fine health. It was in Dee's nature to do as he had, and be rude and protective of Ryo, so Ryo wasn't too mad. "It's not that our life is normal," Dee whispered under his breath.   
  
"You could give life and love to the girl," Evelen retaliated. "I am just an old, sometimes overly bitter woman, and Arianne is a lively, happy girl."  
  
Ryo remained speechless, watching Dee defend him. It was touching to see Dee so passionate about keeping him safe from harm. "I understand Evelen," he said in a quiet, polite voice. "I am not blaming you at all. I'm just... I don't want to um- see him hurting."  
  
"That's so sweet Dee," Ryo muttered, finally able to talk. He took Dee's hand and sat closer to him. "Honestly, you are the greatest. But we will deal with my responsibilities when we get there. I won't break Dee, I'm not that fragile."   
  
The elegant woman, let the two men sit close without words, for twenty minutes until they arrive at a large home on glamorous grounds. "Welcome to my rich uncle's estate," Ryo muttered, rolling his eyes sarcastically as they stepped out of the cab. "Old Nevan did a lot of lying, cheating and stealing to get this rich. It's amazing how he - and my aunt Lila are actually my dad and Elena's siblings."  
  
Dee could feel the fear and anticipation pulsing through his lover. "Ryo are you okay?" he asked quietly.   
  
"Of course," Ryo replied with little to say. "I'm terrified Dee but I'll get over it quickly. "  
  
Then Dee pulled Ryo aside, motioning for Evelen to go ahead of them. His green eyes grew deeply serious and Ryo only had to wonder what he was thinking. "Ryo," Dee said sternly, his eyes staring directly into his lovers. "If something bothers you here, I want to be the first to hear it. I want to be there for you."  
  
"You already have," Ryo muttered, letting Dee kiss his lips quickly. "Honestly Dee, your the first person I'll run to."   
  
They slowly headed towards the porch of the large house, where a short, overweight man stood scowling at Eveln. "Hello Uncle Nevan," Ryo said, forcing out the words his fist clenching next to Dee.   
  
"You're late," Nevan said, laughing gruffly, "Even your father in all of his awful ways - would be ashamed."   
  
Ryo controlled his emotions well, even if Dee could see them brewing at the surface. He held tight to his lover's hand, and glared deeply at the man.   
  
"Well I see your morals are just about as good as your fathers," Nevan cackled, looking down to Dee and Ryo's held hands. This only forced Dee to grab tighter. "Well come on, the lawyer is waiting inside and taking up my room."   
  
"And you'd need a lot of that..." Dee mentioned sarcastically, holding onto Ryo. Who was this guy to step all over good people? "  
  
"I will just go visit Arianne into the yard," Evelen whispered politely, and then to Dee. "Please keep things managed dear. I am afraid of things that may be said to hurt Elena's poor nephew."   
  
"Nobody's hurting him on my watch," Dee replied, following Ryo and the scheming uncle. When they stopped, they were in a room possibly larger than Dee's entire apartment. At the end of the room sat a thin blonde woman, dressed in tight, official looking clothing. She peered at them over thick rimmed glasses. "This is the nephew?" she asked coldly.   
  
"Yep, he's your problem now, layer lady," Nevan drawled. "Now get with it- I want the kid off my property, she's not any of my business."  
  
Fury made it very difficult for Ryo to breath properly. He inhaled, and tried to focus on the woman in front of him, who stared at he and Dee angrily. "Mister MacLean, I am Jane Douglass and I was assigned to dealing with anything coming from the wills of your aunt and uncle. It is most fortunate that their child survived, no?"  
  
"Of course it is," Ryo mumbled, and Dee could feel the catch in his breath.   
  
"You are aware of the legal duties of a guardian?"   
  
"I'd assume they are - they are the same duties as a parent," Ryo whispered, a tear threatening the corner of his eye. He was trying so hard not to be weak, but he was bringing out a weak front. It was just, that glimpsing at the disarray of Nevan's estate, listening to the anger, and now seeing this woman made it final. Rick and Elena were gone. Gone forever...   
  
Dying was too real in Ryo's life, to see people he loved gone. Ten years before he had gone through the deaths of his parents, and now the other people who actually loved him were gone. How many more could be stolen?   
  
"Yes," the catty woman told him, waking him up from the fears. "I assume you came to a legal agreement with them, over your being listed?"  
  
"Yes," Ryo said, but wished he did not have to say it. He had even signed his will of consent. As the words came out of his lips, a million other thoughts ran through his mind. He wasn't a father, he wasn't the one who could be there for this little girl.   
  
"There are more legal issues, that I will need to talk about at my office, in an official court setting," the woman replied, nodding. "But I do have a few background questions to ask you... "  
  
Ryo nodded, looking not at the lawyer, but at Dee. "You're doing fine," he whispered, resting a hand on Ryo's leg. "Yes?" Ryo asked the woman.   
  
"First of all, what is your career?"  
  
"New York Police Department Detective - I work in criminal investigations."  
  
The woman nodded as though she were impressed by his employment. "Good, good," she said. "Would you mind leaving me with the number of your station, sir, after I finish with you?"  
  
Ryo shook his head and waited for her next question. "Where are you living?"  
  
"I am living in New York City, in a small complex of apartments," Ryo said, but quickly added something to the lawyer, that shocked Dee. "Of course if I end up taking custody of Rick and Elena's daughter, then I would move into a larger home."   
  
"Thank you," the woman said, scrawling notes. "I assume as a police officer that your lifestyle is suitable for a child of course?"  
  
"Of course," he repeated.   
  
After several other rounds of questioning, the woman said to him, "Mister Maclean I believe that there is no reasonable doubt as too your inability to provide an amazing family life for this child. There will be some court issues in the next few days but I have no doubts that you are the most applicable candidate in your family. Thank you."   
  
- - - - - -   
  
Review Thanks: Thank you to all for sticking with me, as I try my luck with this ongoing emotional plot.   
  
Devil666sc- hahah... nice review.Thank you. That's really sweet of you.   
  
Kitty in the Box - Yay someone who comes back! Yep, evils the understatement. I tend to do exhageratted characters. I'm glad you enjoyed the way it was written. I'll bring more soon.   
  
Sweet Sakura Curls - We will see...:) Is this soon enough? 


	5. Anger

Summary: Ryo meets Arianne for the first time, without Rick and Elena being there.   
  
------------------  
  
After the legal offical left them to their own business, Dee and Ryo decided to go out to the backyard and sit with Evelen, her daughter Caroline and Elena's daugther. "I don't know if I can see her," Ryo whispered tiredly, while they made their way towards the massive yard. "  
  
" You won't have to deal with this for long. We will find her a place where she can be happy and then you can stop and take some time to yourself. There are ways where you don't have to do this. We'll handle it."   
  
"You are the sweetest," Ryo replied, a slight gleam in his dark eyes. Dee worried for him, deeply.   
  
Once they reached the massive yard, Ryo's eyes met those of a woman in her mid thirties, with long red hair. He recognized her. She was Evelen's daughter Caroline, and had also been a friend of Evelen's. Nevan and Lila hated her. Yet here she was in Nevan's backyard, sitting in a field with a little girl in her lap. "Hi Ryo," Caroline said upon seeing them. She smiled, making Dee notice that she was very beautiful.   
  
"Caroline," he said brightly, but he could barely look at the friend of old. His eyes was fixed on the extremely young child, now crawling across the grass, looking at the flowers. Arianne had changed much, since Elena and Rick had brought her over. She had very pretty, clear eyes; definitely coming from her mother. Her short hair was the same color as his uncle's, and hung down her head in childish curls. She held her head down shyly. She was dressed casually, like a young child should be; with a huge cartoon character smiling on the front of her jacket.   
  
Quickly, the girl ran to where Evelen sat in a chair, and hugged her legs. "Gamma Evie!" she yelled loudly, in a child's mispronounced speech. Dee could swear he saw Ryo's open heart melt right in front of him. He knew, deep in his heart that he could do nothing to stop Ryo from loving this kid. Tough as nails on the outside, Ryo was nothing more than a loving man inside.   
  
"Now, now Ari," Evelen whispered, patting the girl on top of her head. "Your cousin Ryo, is here to be your friend. He wants to help you. " Then she turned to Ryo seriously. "Arianne knows that her parents are gone, despite what Nevan thinks of his teasing."  
  
Ryo scowled at the idea of teasing a girl, who was not even three, and then dropped to his knees. Dee stood, admiring the way that Ryo dropped to the child's level quickly. "Hi Ari," he said, smiling brightly. "Don't you remember me?"   
  
She nodded but kept quiet. "Gamma Evie," she mumbled, stuttering like a child usually would. "Is mean too?"   
  
"Nuh uh," Evelen said smiling gently, pushing the girl towards Ryo. "This is your cousin Ari, and he is a very good man."   
  
Then, Ari's face seemed to change into something much to serious for a baby her age. Ryo turned to see his uncle standing over them. "Don't you all think it might be time to leave?" he asked coldly.   
  
"You're mean!" Ari shreiked angrily, running to the nearest source for a hug - which happened to be Ryo. Dee watched again as Ryo got that look on his face - like his heart was melting. Dee could see it clearly, that Ryo was falling head over heels for the kid. He sighed deeply.   
  
As Ari buried her face into his chest, Ryo stared down Nevan boldly. "This is almost over," he loudly state, his eyes showing horrifying strength and anger. "Your younger sister is dead and all you care about is getting rid of her daughter? I've heard what you did to her. At least respect Elena's daughter. NEVAN I WANT YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM ARI! YOU HERE ME? TEASE HER AGAIN AND SHE'LL BE THE LEAST OF YOUR WORRIES."   
  
Dee watched as the red color left Ryo's face - then he hit his uncle.  
  
Once the man was able to breath properly, Dee came up to him. Ryo leaned back into the arms that surrounded him. "That felt good," Ryo muttered cooly. "I've wanted to do that since I was a little kid."   
  
"That was wonderful," Dee whispered, inches away from Ryo's ear. "You're so strong, it's amazing sometimes." The other man was knocked back, but was trying to regain composure. Dee knew he was lucky. If Ryo wasn't the type to hold back he's be out cold.   
  
Ryo nodded, but didn't talk. "Dee can we head over to a hotel or something?" he finally said in a hushed voice. He held the his hands together, amazed at himself for punching Nevan. "I - I just can't think. I'm making myself worse then I have to be."   
  
"No problem," he whispered again, walking Ryo down to the gate surrounding his uncle's home. Then he uttered a few words of encouragment, before trotting back over to Evie and Caroline. They both looked a little shocked over Ryo's outburst. Dee knew that they knew the same man he did.   
  
"Can one of you keep her with you tonight?" he asked quietly, staring. "I mean , he's starting to grow back into himself... he should be all right."   
  
"Certainly," Caroline said with a smile on her face. Dee had seen her out of the corner of his eye, cheering Ryo's attack. She shook his hand quickly. "I suppose Mom and I will be seeing you around."   
  
Dee rushed down the hill, to where Ryo sat underneath a large tree. Dee offered him a hand, which he accepted. . "Will you be all right?" he asked, his voice subdued.   
  
"I hope," Ryo mumbled. "I know now that if I don't take in Arianne, then she's going to end up in an orphanage, or in someone like Nevan's custody. She's my responsibility Dee - and already in those couple of moments I think I grew to love her. I wouldn't have hit Nevan, if she didn't make me feel something. Just thinking about her being hurt by him... makes me... makes me..."   
  
"You can't love a kid that fast, Ryo," Dee muttered quietly, but Ryo did not hear. He just didn't want Ryo throwing away his life for a little girl he hardly knew. "Let's get a ride to that hotel we passed on the way here, okay?"   
  
- -   
  
An hour later they were in a small hotel room. It was nice, nothing stupendous, but it was comfortable and Dee found some type of relief in there. Slowly, he pulled Ryo into his arms the moment they got into the room. Ryo sighed at contact with Dee's body.  
  
"I know you're hurting really badly," Dee whispered, breathing close to Ryo's ear. "I know - so you don't have to hide anything. Tonight you don't have to worry about the little girl, just how you're feeling."  
  
"You mean that?" Ryo asked, his eyes bright at the idea of feeling selfless for awhile. He had barely let himself have a moment to grieve over the fact that his last remaining family was gone, ripped away at the hands of an accident. "I figured I wouldn't have that chance until the funeral. I heard Evie say it was next week."   
  
"Of course you get what you need," Dee muttered. "You've got me on your side."   
  
"Thanks," Ryo looked up, smiling a little. He felt so strong now. He had his moments to be a completely worried, selfish wreck, but now was feeling better.   
  
"Come on, let me help you," Dee said sleepily. "I mean it Ryo. Once I do, maybe you can just - say what you want to say right now. Y' know that I'll listen."  
  
"You mean that?" Ryo said, his chest still aching from all of the strain going on. It seemed that his heartbeat would never slow down. He wanted to talk, he wanted to scream, and he wanted someone to really listen. He could not resume being strong right away, not until he got out this lump in his chest. Could his usually loudmouthed lover really be the one to listen to him?   
  
"One hundred percent," Dee smirked a sadness setting in his grim eyes. "I can listen you know."   
  
Ryo looked at Dee, focused on his deep green eyes, while he decided whether or not he could talk. He did not know if any of it could come out in coherent sentences. "Some people you just don't expect to die," he murmured, sitting down on the stiff bed. "I mean, there are lively people who just live their lives to the fullest - and you don't expect that they could really die. It's like kids thinking they're immortal - well Rick and Elena were really big kids."   
  
Ryo stopped, and then Deelooed over. "I just can't really believe it, " Ryo finished.   
  
"Takes a long time..." Dee said quietly, gently pushing Ryo's head down onto his shoulder. "How can people like us really comprehend the big plan, you know?"  
  
"I know," Ryo said, turning his head to look Dee directly in the eye. Dee could now see that he was crying. "I mean - I say that with Rick and Elena dying, then the last of my family is gone - but that isn't true! Dee you're my family, the kids are my family. If people like Rick and Elena could die, then who's to say that you couldn't leave me too? I know I can be the weak fool sometimes Dee... to think things like that."   
  
Dee could not help but smile a little bit, seeing in Ryo's eyes how much care the man harbored for people - including him. He slowly wrapped his arms around Ryo's thin form, and spoke slowly. "Ryo, things could happen. I won't tell you that they won't because that would make me a total idiot. But you've got to have hope that there is still some goodness - that won't seperate you from anyone else."   
  
"I know it's being foolish, to feel so awful, when the right answer will come to me," Ryo laughed. "I can do it, Dee, despite what any of them say."   
  
"Now that kind of destiny I believe in, " Dee mentioned moving closer. "I believe that things happen because of something in this world, nothing more. Nobody intended to steal everything from you. It will be all right."   
  
"Dee sometimes I think I'd go insane without you," Ryo said softly, holding onto Dee with both arms - clinging to him. "You are mine forever, no matter what."  
  
"Definitely," Dee said grinning. "If you think you can get rid of me, MacLean. I'm yours forever and you can't take me back. I'll be carrying you throug this, knowing you'd do the same for me, okay? We're the indestructable team."  
  
"Don't use the word indestructable," Ryo mumbled and Dee nodded. He would be respectful of Ryo's state for now.   
  
"Come on Ryo," he whispered quietly. "Let's get ready for bed. I'm sure today was exhausting for you..."   
  
Just then had Dee noticed the exhaustion in Ryo's features. His eyes hung, and his expression was absolutely bleak. He breathed deeply and yawned. "I am... exhausted..." Ryo said softly.  
  
"So tomorrow?" Dee asked.   
  
"We do things right. Misunderstandings and confusion were okay, the first couple of days - but now I'm going to be a normal man. I'll feel what I want to feel... Thanks Dee."   
  
--------  
  
Review Thanks: Nice constructive criticism folks! Helpful... :)   
  
G iris - Once again you've been helpful. I just believed that Ryo is set in his life by now. He's got the kids, he's got Dee, he's got work - and he needs no life changes. I felt maybe Ryo's character would be like myself in fear of life changes. Okay, you got me, I over exhaggerated in chapter four an awful lot! I do that. I actually ended up incorperating stronger!Ryo into this chapter. Thanks for the constructive critisim. Did I do my meeting scene good? Hehee...   
  
The Bard's Apprentic - Hey again. I think Ryo was just so shocked then. Eighteen - and losing your parents this way. His feelings for Elena and Rick are probably different, but good critique.   
  
Kitty in the Box - Did the scene live up to your high expectations? The drama is peaking, yes.   
  
Devil666sc - Arghh... hahaha I almost thought your review was a f lame. You know I am considering that. I just don't know who could legally pose a case against it.   
  
Isuki - Thank you!!! 


	6. Fighter

Summary: An unconcious choice is made on a short trip home.   
  
Author's Notes: You all will notice something new on the next chapters. And there WILL be chapters coming more quickly, I promise.   
  
BETA : Thanks a million to Erin (g iris) for putting up with my typos, and definite clarity issues. This fandom is definitely different then my past. It's hard for me to work with, and your amazing. Thanks for the tech help too!   
  
"Do you really think that it's the best idea?" Ryo asked, looking at Dee's proposed idea as if it were the oddest thing he had heard in a long time. His features were contorted as though it were more phenomenal then it really was. "What if something happens up here?"  
  
"Don't you want it?" Dee replied, silently admitting that the only thing he was thinking about was Ryo – once again. Something about this situation had, uncharacteristically, given him worry. He never worried about Ryo before, because there was no need. There still was no need. Ryo had more control of himself than anyone else around him. "I think it may be helpful."  
  
Ryo sighed, trying to think about it. Dee had asked him, just moments before, if he would like to go back home for a couple of days, until they had to head back upstate for the funeral. Ryo knew that it was something he wanted. Yet he knew that he really did agree with Dee. He wanted a few days to spend with the friends and family that were part of his real life. He wanted to see how Bikky was doing, and whether he was being good for Cal's somewhat vicious aunt. Ryo wanted to see what had happened at the precinct in their absence. He knew there would be some amazing stories to be told.  
  
Yet, there was a small part of him suffering from extreme doubt. What if an emergency were to take place, and he had no way of getting back here? What if his family caused more trouble for the woman who was trying to help him out?  
  
Despite the doubts, Ryo's needs to go home were very strong, and he nodded to himself. "Yes," he whispered. "I think it is a good idea, and we should head back."  
  
"Yes!" Dee exclaimed, his deep eyes sparkling in his happiness. "It's time to go where we perfectly belong! Old New York City... 's the place for us, right?"  
  
Ryo grinned at Dee's sudden enthusiasm. "Uh-huh," he replied, nodding, and inwardly wondering what kind of pre-planned arrangements Dee had made to be springing this so suddenly. 'Never mind,' he thought quickly, before his reaction forced him to ask, 'It doesn't matter how he did it. It just matters that he knows what I need.'  
  
"We've gotta be at the airport at five," Dee said, his face showing the familiar glow of mischief Ryo remembered. It made him feel unusually comfortable, and a bit more powerful in the way things were going. The control was extremely nice.  
  
"That sounds great."  
  
"I have everything ready," Dee said quickly. "All the plans are scratched out. Want me to help you get your things together?"  
  
Ryo was astounded, even though it was like Dee to do things like this. Spontaneous events usually annoyed Ryo, because he hated it when things ran out of control. He liked orderly, planned events and ideas most of the time. Of course life itself proved to be anything but drawn up. So maybe a short, unplanned trip back home would work to ease things.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Hey, Dee."  
  
"Yeah?" Dee asked, shifting uncomfortably in the seat of the airplane. They had only taken off about ten minutes before, but neither man had appeared to want to speak much.  
  
"Thanks again," Ryo replied laughing. "You don't even know how excited I am to go home today and be with everyone back there. What made you – do all of this?"  
  
"You kept asking to be normal," was the quick reply to the question. "I figure, what's more normal than going to the place you live? It's simple."  
  
It did not feel like it could really be that simple, to go home and live for a few days. Yet, Dee's assured look almost sealed the fact that it would be for certain. "I still do want it," Ryo's calm reply settled them both. "It's a bit annoying, somwhate frightening, but I'll enjoy being here."   
  
"That's exactly what I've been wanting," Dee admitted. Looking over to the next plane seat, Ryo could see that Dee was a little bit embarrassed, his head inclined downward.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ryo asked, looking at Dee who moved over nervously.  
  
"Nothing, I just – I got comfortable with how things were beginning to be at home," Dee laughed, leaning back into the seat. There was no use feeling uncomfortable with Ryo, when he would always would end up admitting everything to Ryo. "It was nice. There wasn't any confusion, and I didn't have to do anything stupid to you anymore. It was calm, it was starting to feel like it was a .... ah I don't know what I'm talking about." Dee turned away, seeming a bit flustered.   
  
"It was starting to feel like a family at home?" Ryo suggested, pressing his hand against Dee's shoulder. "I know that it was. Soon it will be again."  
  
"Times like these..." Dee's reply came out like a sigh, as he shook his head laughing at the world. Honestly, he believed that it was always that way; where things would work out fine for awhile, be shaken up by something tragic, wonderful, or even frightening, and then it would move back to being fine. "So, how do you think things have been these last couple of days? You think everything went on fine without us?"  
  
"I'm sure it went well enough. I hope we didn't leave at a bad time for the district. Well... it seemed to be going all right when we left. There were a few things going down, but things have held a lot more control since the precinct went from being understaffed to normal sized."  
  
"Yeah, finally they broke down and stopped dropping all of the cases on the two of us," Dee laughed, as the airplane seemed to bump on the air below them. Both men looked at each other, a bit tense and then Dee had to laugh at how silly they looked. "We need to relax before we get there."  
  
Ryo looked back at him certainly, and tried to speak again. "Yeah, we do. I'm sure everything at work- and at home is all right. I'm positive that it is." Ryo nodded to Dee who smiled back. Ryo then turned to his bag, and pulled out the same book he had been reading the day after Rick and Elena died. It had actually been a book of his mothers, an old love story written in Japanese. It was so old that the title was faded from both the cover and his memories of his mother's love for the story. This time, the symbols on the pages made sense to him. From the first page he believed it was a fairy tale, with the classic fantasy settings and characters.  
  
"What is that thing?" Dee asked out of an odd curiosity, looking at the old, faded leather on the cover. "I was wondering about it the first time you read it."   
  
"It's old, isn't it?" Ryo replied, watching Dee nod out of the corner of his eye. "It's supposed to be very old. It was my mother's book. Elena figured that since my mother loved it so much, my mother would leave it to me after my parents died. Elena sent it to me the month before I began living with her. I kept it, but I never looked inside until the night I heard that she and Rick had died.  
  
Dee looked over Ryo's shoulder at the dusty pages. He ran his finger across the complex Japanese, covering the page. "Seems so complex," he said, even though the neat, clearly scribed language was to unfamiliar to him in every way.  
  
"Might look that way," Ryo mumbled, still a bit reserved about sharing things like this. "It's really like a fairy tale though ... or so it seems. Fantasyland type of stuff. The main character is some kind of prince figure. I wonder why my mother would like something like this..."  
  
"Wasn't she that type of person, like I know you are?" Dee asked, not pressing Ryo, but trying to make conversation work.   
  
"I don't know," Ryo said distracted, as he sank into the second page of the book in hand. "I guess anyone could enjoy anything, but ... it's funny to be looking at something my mother was looking at not so incredibly long ago."  
  
Ryo went quiet for a minute, pulling up the text towards his eyes, so he could see without the reading glasses he had become dependent on. It really seemed to be an odd choice of story for his mother's liking. She was so practical and this was such fantasy, about finding the one person meant for you - even when you weren't looking. But Ryo did find himself   
  
interested in the main male character's indifference, even when he and the girl he was   
  
apparently meant to be with forever, were thrown together to face ridiculous obstacles. Yet, quickly he was starting to see how his mother found this book so good. It was somewhat comforting, making him tired and relentlessly interested in the romance. He never had even looked at the stories of romances, but something was interesting about this. The main character's feelings, they reminded him so much of how he'd felt for Dee early on. The messages reminded him that everything happened for a reason. It was comforting.  
  
"Hey you, are you still engulfed in your fairy tales?" mumbled a voice close to his ear. Ryo turned his head, to be staring into Dee's eyes. "The plane is landing in a few minutes, might as well get our things ready."  
  
"Thanks," Ryo mumbled, shaking his head of the fantasies, and kicking himself into the real world. He slipped the book down into his bag, and prepared for the landing. He had been pretty caught up for the length of the two hour flight, taken by his mother's favorite love story. It was very romantic, and old fashioned. The protagonist's situations seemed to represent other hard struggles. Whatever it represented, it had kept him distracted for over an hour.   
  
Slowly the plane began to descend. Within a half hour, Dee and Ryo were in the airport, were in the airport, had collected their baggage and were ready to go home.  
  
Entering Ryo's home and seeing the mess shocked even Ryo, who had caused it all. His room was torn apart from the uncharacteristic outburst he'd had. "I was a bit upset," he mumbled, his face red with embarrassment. "I guess I do need to clean this place up."  
  
"You'll get to it."  
  
"You're right. It's night, and tomorrow is going to be a good day for normal lives. I'll see how it goes tomorrow morning. It's late..."  
  
Ryo and Dee soon found themselves in Ryo's front room. Dee hurried to clear out the clutter, and Ryo was quick to sit down. He closed his eyes and could feel Dee's weight press down the sofa next to him. He leaned over. "Well... this is nice," Dee said to him, laughing.  
  
"Yeah it is," Ryo replied, incredibly sunken into the feeling of being at home. "Do you think you can stay? I think you still have some good things over here."  
  
"I practically live over here," Dee replied, his arm around Ryo's back. "I don't think me leaving is an issue that should worry you."  
  
Ryo could not help but laugh, holding onto the fact that Dee's form was tightly pressed against him. He moved closer to Dee, relishing a quick but meaningful kiss, their lips brushing against each other's in rejoice.  
  
"Ouch," Dee exclaimed, breaking away, and pushing Ryo over a few inches as a sharp point pressed against him. "What is that in your side pocket?"  
  
Ryo moved slightly, pulling his phone out of the pocket. "Oh look Dee it's a telephone," Ryo teased, trying to be light hearted as he flaunted it in Dee's face. "Go on, get the cross and stake out. I know they're the absolute evil and now you should kill it."  
  
Quickly, Ryo switched the thing on, before he put it away on the shelf. He was just about to put the cell phone with all of his other work materials, until he realized that he had a message. The name was identified as: Jane Douglass. The legal working on matters of the wills.   
  
"Mister Maclean, there has been an urgent development in the legal issues surrounding your relatives deaths. It appears that... your uncle is contesting your duties for the child. He is objecting to your unfit lifestyle. I want you to call me as soon as is possible."  
  
"Unfit lifestyle?" Ryo asked the empty air, as the telephone voice clicked off. He stared at the wall, unsure of what to think of the message. How could his life really be deemed unfit? Any why would his uncle be contesting his rights, when all Nevan cared about was getting the unwanted part of his family away from his presence.  
  
"What's wrong?" Dee asked, watching Ryo stare at the blank telephone screen. "Who was it? What's going on?"  
  
Ryo turned around, and sat back down on the sofa, pushing himself next to Dee, as close as he possibly could make himself be. "Dee, that was the legal - Miss Douglass."  
  
"What did that woman want from you?" Dee replied, moving a bit and Ryo could not help but be happy about the way Dee jumped to concern lately. It was so uncharacteristic, but it helped make Ryo feel better about things around him. He leaned into Dee, feeling less insecure that way. He continued by speaking boldly.  
  
"Her message said that... that Nevan has decided to contest my rights as were stated in Elena's will. She said that he has gone to lawyers, calling out my lifestyle as unfit to raise a child.   
  
Ryo cringed, as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "What does she mean?" Dee asked, looking concerned. "Why would he even bring up stuff like that? He wants to get rid of the kid as soon as humanly possible, right?"  
  
"Why would I be unfit to be a guardian to her?" Ryo asked, not even bothering to answer the question Dee had posed. Nothing made sense to him unless Ryo calculated each move clearly. "I don't get it. I have a lot of money saved over, the area is nice... my job is a little questionable, but what else?"  
  
Hr paused, and Dee could see the clear grimace grabbing hold of his delicate features. His eyes narrowed as he clenched his face. He was thinking of something. Then he began to speak slowly, with a bit of waver to his voice. "Wait a minute. You don't think that I'm being called unfit to be a guardian because of us?"  
  
"Nah, of course not," Dee responded, staring blankly at him. But Dee did not take Ryo for a complete fool. He knew as well as Ryo did, that being together was likely to be exactly  
  
what Ryo's awful uncle had used as his first proclamation to his lawyers. He met his lover's eyes, apologizing wordlessly for the outright lie.  
  
"Well, this is going to be a fun ride, isn't it?" Ryo asked softly, leaning back against the cushion, with only a trace of despair in his eyes. He looked as though he had strengthened, and empowered himself over the situation this time. "It's late so I suppose I'll call her in the morning. Come on, let's get ourselves to sleep Dee."  
  
"Are you..." Dee started, but Ryo quieted him with a quick gesturing of his hands. He shook his head, and smiled.  
  
"Not a chance Dee," Ryo mumbled, walking towards his bedroom. "I honestly need rest, and total control of things. I don't need to be taken care of, honest. Now come on, I need you with me one hundred percent – no matter what I might be choosing in the future."  
  
"What-" Dee started but once again Ryo did not allow him room to speak.  
  
"No listen for a second," Ryo mumbled, as his lover seemed to panic in front of him. "Listen to me, okay? I know you don't approve of a lot that I may choose to do, but if the only other option is Nevan winning – and turning my cousin's life into his own choice, then I choose to do what I know is right."  
  
"Sure," Dee said, somewhat regretful of his words. But when Ryo smiled again he knew that he had to agree to whatever Ryo chose in his life. Dee had followed Ryo for years, running and chasing, because he wanted to be part of that life. And he was going to be no matter what. "Whatever it is you want to do, Ryo."  
  
"Thank you," replied the man with his back turned. "I honestly didn't think you could stand up to something like this. Yes, I doubted you... but you are more than just your average person."  
  
Dee followed, knowing that Ryo had chosen not to back out of anything. Ryo was that way; strong, and unfaltering in everything he chose. And he chose to fight for full rights to his cousin's guardianship, no matter what the world told him. 


	7. Learning to Deal

A/N: - Sorry, sorry sorry for taking so long! I was gone all weekend, and I couldn't open the beta read file yet again. But I figured out my tech problem. MSN's stupid browser will not pick up attatchments through hotmail. I can do it through IE though, so I'll live. Chapter 8 will come quick.   
  
Thanks: Once again thank you Erin (goddess iris) for the wonderful assistance. Sometimes I see the things you've marked and I have to laugh because of how obvious they really were.   
  
Thanks pt. 2 : Thanks to Lady Macbeth off of the mediaminer forums for legal assistance.   
  
----------------------------------  
  
"Dude, you look awful."  
  
Dee nodded, snapping out of the daze he was in, and turning towards his friends. His finger ran slowly across the glass in front of him, and he slowly moved back to normal thought speed. The bar in front of him came quickly into focus. "Sorry," he said quietly and then raised his voice to be heard over the loud chatter of the customers. "I just can't focus on anything!"  
  
"That's okay man," Ted replied, turning away from Dee to look straight ahead into the bar.  
  
Dee shook his head, knowing that he looked as bad as he felt. He knew that Ryo was at home now, talking to that lawyer about the tough path ahead. Ryo had told him to leave him alone for this, that he needed to be alone when this happened. He knew that Ryo was stronger than anyone he'd met, and would probably be better off alone - but there was a part of him that wished he could just stay. "I'm bringing you guys down, aren't I?" Dee asked, looking over his shoulder at Drake and Ted who had come down with him to talk. "Sorry."  
  
"No problem," Drake said loudly, grinning. "I told you that we'd come to talk to you. I even bribed JJ into leaving you alone... now wasn't I nice?"  
  
"Sure," Dee tried a smile, to find that it came out looking fake and strained. "So how'd you manage that?"  
  
Dee could almost swear he saw an odd glint cross through his friend's eye. Then he was certain, when Drake's face became suddenly dark red. "No comment."  
  
"Nice..." Dee muttered, his voice seeming to sink with the pronunciation of the word. He just couldn't help this depression, as much as he tried to enjoy himself. He shook his head. "I'm sorry you guys, I just can't get out of this. I mean I know I shouldn't worry. I'm not the type to worry."  
  
"Definitely not," Ted said smirking.  
  
"Ryo's done a lot of work on you, huh?" Drake added, with a silly grin that showed sympathy.  
  
Dee nodded slowly, yawning as he leaned against the bar in front of them. He knew that it was stupid of him to even think of worrying over Ryo. The man was practically invincible to all situations. He'd had a rough patch, going through another tragic loss, but otherwise he was going to make it. Ryo would ultimately be strong in his decision.  
  
"Is everything going to work out?"  
  
"Huh?" Dee snapped his attention back to Drake, who had just spoken again.  
  
"I mean, I know that your man is going to do the right thing, but when he gets the kid... how's that going to affect you?"  
  
Dee tried very hard to answer the question, but ultimately, he gave up and took a long drink from his glass. He shrugged, "I don't know. It's obviously going to change everything about Ryo - and me. But what I'm really worried about is Ryo not getting guardianship. Face it boys, his uncle's rich."  
  
Both men, on either side of Dee, nodded quickly. Even as New York City Detectives, they all knew what money equaled. It meant extreme power over others. Dee sighed, as Drake motioned for the female bartender to refill his glass.  
  
"I feel so awful about this..." Dee sighed.  
  
"It's not your fault Dee," Ted said quickly, and Drake was quick to back him up.  
  
"Sure this guy's getting Ryo because he's with you, but... you two love each other. Doesn't really matter in the end that you're both guys. It's just the idiots in the courts wouldn't know true love when they saw it."  
  
"Thanks," Dee mumbled, taking another drink. He laughed grimly, holding his glass to the woman who filled it. "But boys, you should've seen him defend that little girl. He's a real dad."  
  
"I just can't believe he hit the guy," Ted mentioned, whistling to signify his amazement at Ryo's reverting from reserved to violent.  
  
"Yeah," Dee grinned thinking of how bold Ryo had been at that moment. "You all would have been amazed. That kid's gonna have a great life if she ends up living with Ryo."  
  
"Well Laytner, you're dad material, too," Ted replied and Drake nodded in agreement.  
  
"Me? I hate kids," Dee mumbled, shaking his head. He didn't like kids and probably never would. He could get used to them, like he eventually did with Bikky, but otherwise he just didn't feel like the type of man who would ever become a father. Yet, if Ryo had a young kid like Arianne living with him... Dee would stick with Ryo.  
  
...  
  
Ryo meanwhile was doubting his parental ability, as Miss Douglass, from somewhere miles away, rolled off the numerous reasons Ryo's uncle was posing against him raising a young child. He had hired an expensive lawyer, with a high reputation, to contest Elena's will and bring Arianne into his custody. He gripped the telephone tightly as she spoke.   
  
"Your party has a high chance of winning this case," she told him with a reassuring tone. "Both of the child's parents signed in writing that you are to be her guardian in case of an emergency, and luckily for you, your aunt and uncle clearly dated and signed all of their documents. Yet, may I list what his lawyers have brought up against you? They have already put an investigator to dig into your past."  
  
"Certainly ma'am," Ryo whispered, feeling nervous. Something was hurting about this, making him not wish to continue. It was self-doubt of course, telling him that he could not be a good enough guardian.  
  
"All right then. The first contesting argument is, as you've probably all ready figured out, is a contestment of your alternate lifestyle which may lead to an unstable household for a child."  
  
"This is insane," Ryo mumbled under his breath, causing the woman to stop. He caught his anger. "Go on Miss Douglass, I'm sorry."  
  
"I know it may seem 'insane' to you that this could be contested by law," she responded, "But, unfortunately for you, there is a potentiality that such a lifestyle as yours could damage a child. You must prove to the courts that your ... relationships do not damage her."  
  
Ryo fought back a lot of anger, as the woman paused to let her words sink into him. Finally he found a medium to his anger. "Please ma'am, I don't need such fancy terms. I'm in love with a guy and it's wrong to Nevan, I get it."  
  
"Do not loose your temper," she warned. "You are trying to prove yourself stable, Mister MacLean. There are several other things, besides your sexual preference that are at hand."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"The man you are in a relationship with, is the only other person to have full occupation of your home?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"You and Mister Laytner are both New York City detectives," she said in a soft tone. "The lawyer is calling the job out as an unstable home for the girl. You work long hours during the day and night, you work with criminals that could endanger your life, or the life of your charge should you gain guardianship."  
  
"Miss Douglass," Ryo whispered, trying very hard to push out his words. He had not wanted to say what was ready to be said, but it was going to have to come out for Arianne's sake. "I am willing to resign from the NYPD for this child."  
  
"Good," she said simply, as though the stabbing sacrifice was nothing. "This will aide you. Also, your uncle's detectives have caught records of a juvenile delinquent living under the same roof as the girl would."  
  
"He's not anymore!" Ryo yelled, defense levels rising when it came to the child he had long ago gained custody of. "He cannot use Bikky as an excuse to keep Arianne away from me. He's a good kid, in a healthy and happy environment."  
  
"I am sorry but your charge's past could be brought into the case, because he is sixteen," she said seriously. "There have been charges of minor violence in the last year. I am shocked that such a decent man as yourself..."  
  
Ryo felt his stomach clench. He felt awful... not only were they trying to take Elena's child away from him in spite, they were offending Bikky's past. "My child is not any problem," Ryo muttered. "He is a good child that came from a hard background. He is finishing High School with fine grades, and a decent record. Oh, this is going to be brutal anyway. What else?"  
  
"I am sorry to press another nail into this issue," she muttered softly. "Yet, there have been connections between yourself, your partner, and many dangerous criminals. This, of course, ties into your dangerous lifestyle. The cases involving your parent's deaths were particularly examined."  
  
Ryo remained silent and waited for her to continue talking.  
  
"They are trying to have your partner be considered as a domestic partner, because of the time he spends in your household. His record on the police force isn't so clean, as you know. Detective Laytner has fired his weapon without authorization, disobeyed authority, and used excessive violence in the past. The record is so poor it was not hard for the lawyers to obtain."  
  
He laughed darkly, leaning back in his chair. He was usually a positive person, but this really was the hardest part - hearing everything that would be brought up to hurt him. "This all is going to be quite the challenge," he mumbled at the phone.   
  
"A great challenge, and for that I am sorry. Goodbye."  
  
Ryo hung up the phone and walked across the room, to where he sat in an armchair and sighed. This would be an awful battle, but he would do his best for his aunt. "Elena," he said aloud to the empty room, praying that maybe she could know how hard he would try. "You believed in me when the rest of the family turned me out. You kept me safe, and you and Rick were the most loving relatives I'd ever known. I'll do my best no matter what it takes, because of how much I love you. I just don't care how hard Dee and I have to fight. Ari will be safe."  
  
Then came a knocking at the door. Ryo knew Dee was home, and in his anxiousness he rushed towards the door, fumbling with the lock. Dee stood in front of him, looking somewhat nervous or anxious to see what had happened. "Ryo?" he asked with a soft tone of voice. "Can I come in?"  
  
"Please," Ryo begged, leading Dee by the hand. Dee came in and Ryo quickly threw his arms around his lover.  
  
"Oh, Dee it's going to be so hard!" he said quickly, holding onto Dee's sturdy form. He hadn't even bothered waiting for a formality. Dee would understand how he was feeling about this.  
  
Dee put his arms around Ryo, to feel that his lover's form was trembling. "Are you going to be all right?" Dee asked.   
  
"As long as you're here," Ryo replied smiling sadly, just letting Dee hold him. Dee sat down beside him on the sofa, never letting go. "Let's just stay here like this for awhile," he asked, "since the kids aren't coming for awhile - I just want you to hold me."  
  
"Don't worry about this," Dee mumbled into Ryo's shoulder, as he practically helped Ryo into his lap. "I'll never leave you to deal with this alone. I love you, and I'm here for anything - no matter how it changes us."  
  
"But Dee..."  
  
"No Ryo, it's okay..." He pulled Ryo upwards, to where he lay across Dee's chest. Dee wrapped one arm around Ryo's waist, and he used the other to caress the top of his head. He twisted his head to kiss the side of his lover's neck. "We'll see it through."  
  
-------- 


	8. Conflicting Feelings

Thanks: Once again, thank you Erin (goddess iris) for beta reading for me. Definitely keeping me on my toes! No really, your help is really forwarding my ability to write. Thank you.  
  
AN: I am so sorry for shaking things up at the end of this chapter :) It's just that the scene was planned since I wrote this fic, and well... my muses wouldn't let me put it down. --------------  
  
"So, you have to go back there tomorrow?"  
  
Ryo nodded grimly, as he pushed some of the cluttered luggage next to the door. He looked over at Bikky apologetically. "I am so sorry," he said quickly, dropping his mother's leather bound book into his pack. "I've got to go tomorrow, but Dee will be hanging around for another two days."  
  
"That's good, I guess."  
  
Ryo forced himself to smile. "What do you mean, you guess? I'll make sure he doesn't cause you any problems."  
  
"I doubt that will be an issue," Bikky grinned, trying to match Ryo's nature - which was now quite upbeat and joking. "If anyone has to worry about problems, it's him."  
  
When Ryo's face changed, Bikky was forced to suppress a laugh. Ryo was changing so often now, that it was hard not to find it humorous. One minute he'd be perfectly happy, and then the next he would be hiding away from them. His emotions were so wrecked now, that he never acted like they expected him to. It was not funny, but it made the world seem just a little more crazy then before.  
  
"Hey, I'm just kidding," he said quickly. "I'll be good if he doesn't give me any problems."  
  
Ryo looked up from where he sat on the floor packing, and smiled. He knew just by looking at Bikky, that he was often scaring the teenager with the way he was acting. "Thank you. Everyone is just being so great about this whole thing - especially you."  
  
"Whatever. You have to do what you have to do for your family, right?"  
  
Ryo could not help but feel extremely contented with the teenager's response. He was a bit shocked to the point where he could barely form real words. He had always considered the boy to be part of his family, but he had never seen such real displays of maturity. "Thanks," he said quietly, not knowing what else there was to say in this kind of talk. He found himself lost for words so often, especially with the way his family was behaving for him.  
  
"You were the guy who kept going on and on to me about how important family was," Bikky mumbled quietly, not even sure if Ryo had heard him. He knew exactly how much he'd shocked Ryo by talking that way, but he meant it. He worried about Ryo like he had never worried before. He hated taking things so seriously, but there were things going on around his home, that required such seriousness.  
  
"I guess I was," Ryo muttered. "Having a family of people around you is something I do believe in. My dad did too... which was crazy judging by who his family was."  
  
"Are they really as bad as you've been saying they are?"  
  
"If evil exists, then it's them," Ryo responded honestly. It had been awhile since he'd actually been honest about how he felt for his family on his father's side. Ever since he was very young, he spent little time with them because they were always out to hurt him, Elena, or his dad. The family on his mother's side was very small, and all of them had been in Japan for the last thirty years. He had only visited them twice in his entire life. "Doesn't matter though."  
  
"Just don't get into more trouble then you have to."  
  
"How'd you know I was getting into trouble?" Ryo asked, a vague but confused look crossing his face. "I mean, I didn't say anything I shouldn't have... "  
  
"It's written all over this place," the teenager sighed, leaning back. "Plus, you know you have a habit of talking too loudly, right?"  
  
"Bad habits always stay with a person," Ryo mumbled, trying to take everything as lightly as was possible. Tomorrow morning everything that panicked him would start up again, so he was going to take advantage of every possible moment where he could be happy with things. "You'll be home tonight, right?"  
  
" 'Course I will," Bikky replied, standing up. "But I'm going to head over to Cal's place and tell her that I'll be staying home tonight, okay? That is if her aunt doesn't try to kill me."  
  
"Her aunt's quite the woman, if you'd get to know her," Ryo mentioned, knowing that Bikky could never take that piece of advice. The woman hated Bikky with everything in her, despite how much she seemed to like both Ryo and Dee. Ryo knew how she felt though, being extremely overprotective of a child. "She's just scared that you'll be corrupting her precious niece."  
  
Then, the noise of the front door closing became apparent. "I'd say that her precious niece is as corrupted as can be," Dee said, entering the room and dropping his things on the floor. He had just finished spending six hours at the precinct, making up paperwork for the days he and Ryo had missed out on. "Someone made sure that everything the poor woman feared already happened."  
  
"Dee!" Ryo yelled, trying not to think about any implications Dee was giving him. He knew that Bikky talked to Dee about more private things in his life, and it annoyed him more than anything. He then turned to see the two of them at it, the same way they'd been since the very beginnings.  
  
"All right you two," he said, ignoring the noise they were making. "All right! Bikky go down and let her know you'll be around here. Dee be mature, you are the adult in the situation." Settling the feud, Ryo moved backwards into a chair, and watched calmly as Bikky left the house, and Dee put away his things. The lawyers were right, Dee did basically live here now, the way he stuck around.  
  
"So, how did things go today?" Dee asked, taking off the coat he had been wearing.  
  
"Fine, I guess. Just packing things up... getting everything together for tomorrow. How about you? I hope the chief went easy on you."  
  
Dee shook his head, wringing his hands as though he were frustrated. "Remember the old Baker case?" he asked, grinning.  
  
"Yeah, the woman down on fourth who was murdered a month ago? Did they actually figure out who did it?"  
  
"Her husband," Dee yawned. "Month chase and the suspect we should have been looking at was her husband. And I feel like such an idiot! I was so put off by the guy's total lack of respect for us, that I should have started to suspect he had stuff to hide."  
  
"He never had a motive for murder, did he?" Ryo asked, trying hard to be interested in the case. He yawned, knowing that he had never seemed so out of it. It just wasn't his job anymore. He felt that he would probably never go back to the NYPD, so it seemed unimportant to talk about it. "Sorry Dee, I just feel kind of disconnected to that stuff."  
  
Dee nodded. "Okay, never mind what happened at that place. What went on here?"  
  
"I ended up feeling like a old person, sitting around all day," Ryo responded, unable to help laughing at his own situation. "I packed up, I sat around, and I waited all day for Bikky to come over with his friends. What a boring life! I don't know how anyone handles that."  
  
"For the better," Dee said quickly. "Whatever they say about getting older - it's a lie."  
  
Dee could say some of the most perfect things nowadays. It was great, but Ryo couldn't help miss the Dee who would torture him just for fun. The Dee who would make fun of him and have no sensitivity whatsoever, was in a better time and place. "Thank you," he replied sleepily. "But I don't want to go back there."  
  
"Yeah you do." Ryo turned his head when Dee spoke. Dee could always see right through him, as he had since they first met. He could always see when Ryo was lying, or telling a half truth. He hadn't had a secret since he'd met Dee that he had successfully kept to himself.  
  
"Okay," he admitted, shrugging. "I guess I kind of want to see Elena's daughter again. I trust Evie and Caroline with her and all, but ..."  
  
"Your dad instincts are kicking in," Dee said softly.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm not even trying either," he yawned softly, leaning backwards. He really was tired, having not slept well in days. "I don't even worry too much about the fact that they're dead. I just worry about their daughter."  
  
"You're just thinking smart, like always," Dee muttered, not sure of what else to say. "It's better to worry about the kid, then people who are already gone, right?"  
  
"If only I had a decent family, then I wouldn't be so worried about how things are without me."  
  
"Control freak," Dee accused, smiling. "You've always been that way. If the people there, that you care so much about have been surviving the horrors of your family for years, they can manage now."  
  
"You're right, as always." - - -  
  
"No offense," Bikky whispered, looking closely at the front window of the house, where a stern faced woman looked at him viciously. "But your aunt is looking again."  
  
Cal turned her head and laughed at her aunt's form, framed by the glass of the window. She smiled at the woman as though cheerful. "Sometimes I don't know what's wrong with her," the girl said quietly. "She knows how old I am now, yet she still doesn't trust me with a boy three years younger than I am. It's not like you could hurt me or anything. Sorry, Bikky, but you don't even look threatening."  
  
"I could be a threat" he retorted defensively. "Maybe I understand why she's worried about you."  
  
"I understand it too," the girl said seriously. "I mean, Ryo's done the same for you, right? Got all defensive because you used to come from a 'bad place'?"  
  
"Sure," Bikky agreed, knowing what that feeling was like.  
  
"The minute she found out her little brother had a kid, she was all over me in this kind of defense. She knew how Dad lived, and the second he died I was hers to save. You have to understand her Bikky, cause I do."  
  
"Yeah, I understand," he looked over at the window that seemed to be missing the woman now. "It's cool of you to stick around here, when you could've left any time."  
  
"I thought of it a couple of times," she giggled. "But why leave when I'm going to the school just down the street? Plus, I think she'd freak if I were gone for more than a couple of hours a day. I'll save myself that."  
  
"Cool, so you understand right?"  
  
"Sure I do," she replied calmly. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Don't worry about my aunt, either. I'll explain to her..."  
  
"Thanks, I better be getting home."  
  
Bikky turned from Cal's home, heading quickly back to Ryo's apartment. It had been a good thing when Cal's aunt had decided to move them to a neighborhood so close to Ryo's. Of course it had been owing to the fact that Ryo was such an amazing person to her. He was home quickly, but when he pushed the door open, he found that Dee and Ryo weren't in the front of the house. Looking for light, he saw that they were in Ryo's back bedroom. He figured he'd better wait for them to leave, but then he realized that they were just talking.  
  
"Come on Dee, I know you care but you know what I'm planning. You and I both know that law isn't always fair, but we're working on it."  
  
Dee's voice seemed to falter a bit, but he spoke anyway. "You're right, but it's hard to understand why they'd bring up some of the stuff against us. Some of it makes no sense whatsoever."  
  
"I know," Ryo responded quietly; so quiet that Bikky could barely hear his voice from outside. The teenager stood transfixed, unable to just leave. He had heard so little about what was going on in their lives, and it just caught him there. "I just don't know how I can defend certain things about myself. I mean, defending our relationship is one thing, but how am I supposed to defend my past with criminals? Or how can I tell them that Arianne would not be living with a criminal teenager around her?"  
  
"I don't know," Dee responded. "It just bugs me that they've dug up on your past already, without any kind of consent."  
  
"I'm sure he worked his way around needing my consent," Ryo said quietly.  
  
Bikky felt that he should leave now, that he'd been listening to their conversation for long enough, but something about Ryo's mention of him made him stick where he was. He had heard by now that Ryo was trying to get guardianship rights to his nearly three year old cousin Arianne, and he had heard some of the reasons put out by Ryo's uncle that he was unfit. However, he had never heard himself be used as a reason. Could the things he did as a kid, really connect to right now?  
  
He stopped thinking about those things, to realize that Ryo had begun speaking to Dee again. "It just seems like I have to bring up every little thing," Ryo whispered, "and I have to find some reason why Nevan's wrong."  
  
"Don't worry, your defense will be flawless," Dee replied.  
  
"I could defend my job easily," Ryo said, "I don't even know if I'll be going back. He cannot use my dangerous career as an excuse if I don't have one. The problem is dispersed immediately the second I set foot in a court. But what about the other things? I can't make you, or Bikky, disappear ... I won't!"  
  
"Of course you won't," Dee's voice came out sounding oddly frightened. "Yet it will be hard to defend us... man, I'll apologize for myself and the kid both, we're nothing but complications."  
  
"I don't know about you two," Ryo replied, trying to make light of the situation. "According to my friend the legal worker, you've 'fired your weapon without authorization, disobeyed authority, and used excessive violence in the past,' and Bikky has 'a past as a juvenile delinquent, and a recent reporting of violence.' What am I supposed to do with you two anyway?"  
  
Bikky couldn't help but wince from outside of the room. The minor outburst of recent violence really was not his fault. Once again, some of his former friends decided that a defenseless thirteen year old girl would make the perfect target. How else was he supposed to react when he caught them? "I guess I am a problem..." he whispered under his breath, looking at the cracked open door in an confused manner.  
  
"I hate to sound stupid," Dee said quickly, "and I do that a lot, but I really don't know what you're going to do. It just is bothering me, that you're talking about getting a hold on this little kid, when your own kid needs you too, a long with all the people and places around you. You're going to loose who you are because of this."  
  
"Don't say that!" Ryo suddenly got a little louder, as his voice seemed to show that he was angry. "Just don't... you know very well what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it! Sometimes things just have to change!"  
  
Bikky wanted to go into the front room, and pretend that he hadn't heard anything, but now that this was developing into an argument, he was stuck to the floor. Didn't they know he'd be coming back soon? They probably had expected him to be at Cal's longer. This wasn't going well, and it was scary.  
  
"Maybe you're just busy playing saint, and you think things have to change?" Dee said, louder than before. "I mean it Ryo! Have you even stopped to think about not going all heroic on us? Why not go to your aunt and uncle's funeral, make sure their kid finds a good home, and then get on with your life?"  
  
"It's not my life anymore Dee!"  
  
"Yes it is... think about this and stop being stupid. Have you even asked the kid what his recent 'reported acts of violence' were? I mean, aren't you supposed to be worried about that kind of stuff?"  
  
"Dee, he's sixteen and can deal with the consequences of what he's been doing," Ryo's voice was weak, and Bikky knew something was wrong with the way he spoke. It wouldn't have mattered, even if he was thirty years older, Ryo still would have been on him in a second for anything.  
  
"What the hell Ryo? This doesn't sound like you! This isn't you, is it?"  
  
"Yeah Dee, it is. I've gotta do what is best for Elena's family first!"  
  
"You'll lose your own family in the process!" Dee shouted. "You can't be the right guy for this kid, you just can't!"  
  
"Why not Dee?" Ryo asked, and Bikky could tell that his dad was crying. "Nobody is going to raise Ari like Rick and Elena would want her to be raised - except me. Elena and my dad were the only good people on my their side of my family and they're gone. I need to do what needs to be done, and raise Elena's girl like she'd have wanted her raised."  
  
"Why is it your duty? And I understand that your family doesn't have very many good people, but once you prove your uncle unfit to raise her, she'll be fine!" Dee seemed to be trying to convince and comfort Ryo at the same time, but was failing terribly.  
  
"Elena took me in when she didn't have to! She loved me like her own kid, so I have to honor her daughter the same way."  
  
"See? You said 'I have to' again Ryo! You've said that a million times in the past week! Nothing on this world is forcing you to do any of this. I've said I'd follow you in whatever choice you make, but don't act like you have to. I don't know much about your Aunt and Uncle, but I believe they'd want you happy first. They understand that you have a family, a kid even."  
  
"A kid who is nearing the finish of high school, and a man who will be there for me," Ryo interjected. "I am capable of anything."  
  
"Of course you are, but your happiness needs to come first. What do you want to do? Take in every homeless kid who you think needs you? You've done it before, and it took a lot of effort then! It hurt you, didn't it?"  
  
"Well, it wasn't much of a struggle making sure that Bikky would stay part of my home," Ryo said quietly. "But yeah, it hurt a bit."  
  
"You're so giving and so... so loving Ryo, that sometimes you forget yourself!" Dee snapped. "If only you could hold back the urges to take in any unfortunate brat you start to feel for. I don't want to see you hurt yourself over kids anymore."  
  
Now, Ryo was actually crying... and so was Dee. Dee continued speaking in a broken voice, "I mean... damn, that sounded so cruel, didn't it? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it seem like..."  
  
"Like the months of preparation that I went through to get Bikky into this house were a dumb mistake, and my trying to help Arianne is too? Yeah Dee, it sure did. And yes Dee, taking in Bikky did feel like a mistake for a time, but was it? Not for a second."  
  
"You're just too giving sometimes. You sacrifice yourself for..."  
  
"Enough Dee!" Ryo's voice was stern. "I am finished."  
  
Bikky was finished with listening to their conversation altogether. He did not want to stay here, even if he'd promised that to Ryo. He'd just go over and bother someone for a place to stay. Listening to this conversation had made him really start thinking about unpleasant things. He didn't really know what to do.  
  
Before he turned to leave, he stopped at the door. He had caused Ryo a lot of problems anyway, and did not need to tack onto that by worrying him. Quickly, he scrawled a note on Ryo's desk, saying that he'd stay over with a friend tonight, as he'd heard them fighting and didn't feel right intruding. That wasn't the half of it, but it would be comfort for poor Ryo, especially if he missed his leaving, which was likely.  
  
He couldn't even start to think about the things overhearing their argument made him feel. It made him feel something he'd never felt before in his life - he felt guilty. Ryo was one to cause himself pain for other people. Bikky was not sure if his happy home was real, or just his father's attempts at doing good.  
  
- - - - - - - -  
  



	9. Understanding

"It makes me so angry that... that he went over to his friend's house without... without really saying anything to me about it." Ryo could not speak correctly he was so furious. He was choked up about leaving, angry at Dee, and upset with Bikky. This wasn't the parting he had expected. It was tearing at him, because he had expected this time to be able to lean on his family for help. Yet, they were causing more pain then anything else.  
  
He realized that he sort of felt ashamed for fighting with Dee, and for scaring Bikky out of the house. It was completely Dee's fault that they had been fighting, but Ryo knew he could have put an end to it earlier than he did. When he had read Bikky's note on the table, he had been furious. Dee had said some idiotic, incorrect things that would be discomforting if Bikky had perhaps heard them.  
  
"Don't worry," Dee responded weakly, still feeling horrified at the things he had said to Ryo. He had no right to be so mean, so blunt. He had never lost those impulses, to speak without thinking. "I'll get him to call you the minute he gets home."  
  
"Fine, I'll miss the plane if I don't go," Ryo snapped, walking out of the door, but Dee kept it held open. He tried to calculate his words this time. "What is it?" Ryo asked in an exhausted tone. "You know very well that I have to go."  
  
"Well, I just want you to know that I'm sorry," Dee said quickly, as though he could really make up for the awful way he'd treated the other man. "I am so sorry."  
  
"I just can't believe you said those things," Ryo said, his head shaking slowly. He was gripping the door tightly, as though trying to hold back. "It's not like you to hurt me intentionally."  
  
Ryo slammed the door shut, leaving Dee standing in front of it, gaping at the door and wondering what to do - until he realized that Ryo would already have been in a cab, on his way to the airport. Of course, earlier this morning, Dee had offered to drive, but Ryo had refused that offer. Who was he to make judgements of his lover's character? It was stupid, it had been selfish.  
  
"Yet, I was doing it for him, too," Dee said aloud to the empty room. He was trying hard to make his error of words have some type of noble intention. "I was just trying to pressure him into seeing that he'd go through more hardships then he really needed. Yet it's still selfish because I know that I... I don't want him to end up with that kid."  
  
Dee figured that he could distract himself by getting ready for work. He wasn't due into the precinct until much later that day, but he could be ready anyway. He started to go about his normal routine, ignoring how guilty he was feeling. Just as he was in the middle of getting dressed, there was a phone call to Ryo's home, that startled him slightly. He tossed the rest of his clothes onto the bed, and moved quickly towards the telephone.  
  
"Hello..." Dee answered, at first wondering who might be calling Ryo's house. Suddenly, his voice was cut off by that of an anxious young woman.  
  
"What'd you guys do to Bikky?" Cal asked, sounding aggitated. She did not even stop to allow Dee a chance to speak. "Of course the idiot is trying to pretend that he's all cool about everything... but he's really messed up and won't tell me what's wrong with him. Is Ryo okay?"  
  
"Calm down, will ya?" Dee asked, mixed up by tone of the girl's voice. Was she upset, or was she worried? "Ryo's fine, he just left for the airport. What do you mean, how is the kid acting messed up?"  
  
"He won't talk to anyone, he's just sitting around the school area, trying to act all tough." The girl's voice sounded exasperated, and she continued speaking. "It's like ... every time one of the guys says something, he jumps up acting like he's offended. He stayed over with his best friend last night, but barely even talked to the guy. Something's up and I bet you know what."  
  
"Do you have any idea what's wrong with him?" Dee gulped, immediately jumping to conclusions.  
  
"No, not really. The only clue he gave was when he said that he didn't feel like going home for a long time or something. Then he said that he wasn't sure it was even his home at all. I just know you did something."  
  
"Can you go down to the high school and tell him to come home?" Dee asked, sighing to himself. He knew what was going on just judging by what the girl had told him. This was his fault and he needed to put an end to it.  
  
"He won't."  
  
"Make him, you know that you can," Dee said persistently. What had he done now? If he didn't fix this, Ryo would come home and kill him for the problems he had caused.  
  
- - - - -  
  
Luckily, the teenaged girl came through, and an upset looking Bikky arrived home an hour and a half later. "What did you want?" the boy asked him, a bit of the distress Cal had talked about showing on his face. "Cal said you needed me."  
  
"I just want to know why you left Ryo hanging. He worried about you all morning." Dee spoke simply, pretending he did not know anything about the situation. He sat down in a chair at the end of the room, and stared at the young man. "He was really upset that he had to leave without saying goodbye to you. You know he may not be back for awhile..."  
  
"I know," Bikky said, playing with the same clueless routine as the older man. "Didn't he get my note?" Dee was not completely sure, but it seemed to him like Bikky was speaking in an unusually distant manner. He watched as Bikky sat in a chair across from him staring back, like he was being interrogated.  
  
"Yeah, he did," Dee responded, leaning back to ease the tense situation. "But sorry kid, I think the effort just made things worse for him."  
  
"Why?" Bikky asked, his eyes showing that he was seriously playing dumb. "I thought he always wanted to know where I was going."  
  
"He didn't know that you had heard what happened last night," Dee said, feeling uncomfortable. "Neither of us showed the best of ourselves there..." He tried his hardest to ease both of them by making his expression show how concerned he was for everything, but it was not working. He turned, and tried to distract himself. He found a file of paperwork that he should have done last night. He'd need it for today's business, so he began sorting through it.  
  
"He needs to stop being so sensitive," Bikky said, also leaning back in the chair. "People have fights sometimes... it's not a big thing." For a minute, Dee almost felt he could believe the expression Bikky was giving him. However, really looking, he could tell from Bikky's voice that the fight had been a huge deal for the young man.  
  
Dee did not know what to do next now that he had partially identified the problem. It was Ryo's job to be a parent, to say all of the things that others understood and accepted. No matter what he said next, he would probably be the one to screw everything up. He was not that great when it came to using the right words. He had a choice - he could either tell Bikky that the things he said were wrong, or he could act as though he hadn't said anything that might have hurt the boy's feelings. He thought about it, and then decided to do what felt honest, along with a bit of choosing the thing Ryo would say.  
  
"I did... I didn't mean a lot of the things I said to Ryo last night," Dee stated quietly, looking up from the stack of paper's spread around him. "I lost my temper, and said some completely stupid things. I was such an idiot."  
  
"No different from any other day," Bikky said detachedly. Dee looked down at the young man and could see that this was bothering him a lot, to have to talk like this. Bikky continued, "Being an idiot is in your nature I guess."  
  
"Come on, I'm trying to do things that aren't like me to do," Dee stated, trying to make the boy see that there was no need for him to feel frightened, when Dee himself was terrified. "Don't you want to talk about what you heard me say? It's the perfect opportunity to make me look like a total jerk."  
  
"I don't need an opportunity," Bikky said sarcastically. "I shouldn't have listened, but you can't go and take back what you told him. As dumb as you act, you're smart. You were right in what you said."  
  
"No," Dee said blankly. "I was acting like an idiot... this whole idea of being someone's parent scares me. Can I be any more honest?"  
  
"You were really honest when you were arguing," Bikky said, trying to make sense of everything going on around him. Why was he sitting here, telling the idiot, who'd said those terrible things, that they were true? He should be convincing Dee that Ryo took him in because he wanted to. "You sure told him the truth. I know he's a total goody-goody, and... would do something like take in kids without parents. I'm going okay?" He stood up to leave.  
  
"He's worried about you," Dee stated bluntly. "Doesn't that mean that he loves you, kid? He's so worried, even though he doesn't know how to express it right now."  
  
"Maybe he's worrying because he has to," Bikky responded while shaking his head. "He thinks I'm his problem, but I'm not. He's got his own life and problems to worry about, without having me involved."  
  
Dee shook his head, motioning for Bikky to sit back down. "Don't say that," he said quietly. "Ryo is going through a lot right now, but he still worries about you all the time." Dee didn't know if the words he had chosen were appropriate, but they seemed to get an extreme reaction, when Dee noticed a change in the way Bikky stared at him. If only he had just thought out his words while talking to Ryo, he wouldn't be in this conflicting mess.  
  
"He doesn't have any right to worry about me," Bikky said harshly. "Like he told you, I'm not a kid anymore."  
  
"And like I told you already, Ryo and I said stupid things last night," Dee murmured. "This kid is making us both crazy. Plus, even if Ryo said that you were old enough to handle the situations you're getting in... he really means that he's even more worried than ever. I mean it, loosing you in any manner would kill him."  
  
"Just so you know," Bikky said darkly, walking around to the back of the chair and holding onto the top of it angrily, "that new thing on... on my police record, it wasn't my fault, and it wasn't anything that dangerous. A couple of my old friends from back in the day, well, they decided that they could get a thrill - not to mention some cash, by beating up a thirteen year old rich girl."  
  
"So you acted on impulse, instead of calling the authorities?" Dee asked, with a slight grin on his face. He knew that Bikky understood his lack of seriousness.  
  
"Sorry, but the local cops are so lame," Bikky responded, with the same type of grin and joking expression. "They wouldn't have gotten to her on time. I mean, what would you have done."  
  
"The same," Dee said nodding, and laughing just slightly. "Until I was about fifteen I might have been one of those punks, but, yes, I'd have done the same. Still, why didn't you let Ryo know about it?"  
  
Bikky stood defensively behind the chair. He knew he was letting too much go that he had tried to keep from Dee. He was not supposed to be sharing these kinds of feelings with an adult, especially not Dee. It made him feel freaked out, just to know that he was saying all of these things. Scarier- he could not stop. "He doesn't think the same way you do," Bikky said quickly, breathing deeply as he wished he could stop the flow of words leaving him. "He would have just freaked out, saying seriously that I should have let the cops deal with it."  
  
"Ryo might have said that," Dee said, thinking about Ryo's own nature to take the law into his own hands. "He probably would have said that- to try and give you some morals to follow. But in truth, he would have done the same thing to the poor innocent victim. He's one of those people you have to overanalyze what he's thinking, to figure out what he's going to do or say."  
  
Bikky said nothing for a long time, thinking about what Dee was telling him. Sure, he did not feel so much like listening to the man who'd accused Ryo of taking him in out of pity, but Dee was right. If Ryo said one thing to keep up his good image, there was something, on the other side, that he was thinking. "I agree," Bikky said, cringing at his own choice of words. "I agree with you about that, but he worries too much, and... he's got enough to worry about right now."  
  
"Sure he worries," Dee muttered, thinking of Ryo's nature. "He's a natural worrier, and he has a ton of stuff going on right now. Yet, if you needed him at any time, he'd be there, because you're his kid."  
  
"I'm so sick of causing problems," Bikky said quickly, as though he had no intention of Dee hearing his words. "I never really thought about how other people think, until I heard you last night."  
  
"I'm sorry, I said such stupid things!" Dee yelled, leaning against the side of the chair. He hated knowing that he caused all of the tension going through their home. It was much easier to blame someone else then to know it was all his fault.  
  
"I better go, really," Bikky moved a few steps backwards, to where he was standing by the closed door. "You're not making a lot of sense."  
  
"No, I'm not," Dee said quickly, trying to think of something smart to say. "I haven't... not since Ryo got that call telling him that his aunt and uncle died. Ryo's the one who always makes sense. The type of guy who'd be a great dad."  
  
"Then why'd you say what you did?" Bikky asked, clutching the doorknob, as though it could save him from this tense situation. If it made no sense, then why would you say it?  
  
Dee couldn't help smile to himself as he stood up to look at Bikky at level. For a kid that had always struggled to pass through school, Bikky was a smart kid who could talk his way around even Dee. Yet, after a moment of stalling, standing, and staring at the teen, Dee knew just what Ryo, or any other good parent would say. "Why do you think I said it?" he asked, with no anger or sarcasm in his voice.  
  
For the last year or so, Ryo had often told Dee that he did not respect Bikky as a young adult. He said that talking down to him, and getting into childish fighting was only inforcing that Bikky didn't know anything. He told Dee that it was now time to let the young man have his own set of ideas. He wasn't the ten year old they had met years ago. Dee knew that Ryo would have liked his choice of words.  
  
"Because..." Bikky said quickly, obviously shocked by Dee's question. He leaned against the chair he had been holding all this time. He never expected to be asked what he was thinking, especially not by Dee. "I think you said it because he only let me live with him 'cause it was the right thing to do."  
  
"Do you really believe that?" Dee asked sympathetically. He had spent the entire night thinking about what he had said, as he was looking back at Bikky and Ryo's relationship.Their bond was very strong. Bikky was Ryo's son in every manner of speaking. "Listen, I was being selfish. I don't want him to get hurt in this legal battle. But I also wasn't entirely honest with him. I tried to sneak out of the hardships... just like I've done with a lot of stuff. Don't tell me you haven't tried to get out of things before?"  
  
Bikky couldn't help smile at the question. "Do you even have to ask? Okay, so I guess I understand why you'd try to make him... not try to get a hold on his cousin... but, can I ask you something honestly?"  
  
"Go ahead," Dee said, motioning for the boy to sit down at the chair again. He also sat down, waiting earnestly for the boy to just ask his question. "I can't promise you the smartest answer, but go on and try me."  
  
"Okay," Bikky said silently, trying to sound tough, even though it was more than obvious that his question meant a lot to him. "Do you think that he wanted me here, in the beginning?"  
  
"Of course he did," Dee said in a rushed, uncertain voice. He knew he was shooting off his words without thinking again, but he did not want Bikky to have any doubt that Ryo wanted him.  
  
"Be honest," Bikky said, his voice nearly dragging towards a tone of begging. "Do you think he did?"  
  
"Back when you were ten," Dee started, looking at Bikky after thinking his answer through. He knew that was the only was he could answer honestly, "You couldn't do anything to make Ryo more in love with you. Trust me, I tried it a lot back then."  
  
"But was all of the legal stuff he went through really worth it?" Bikky asked, still sounding uncharacteristically weak and desperate.  
  
"I think it was," Dee said. "You were listening to him last night, weren't you? He loves you and I really hurt him by accusing him of anything but that. I was wrong and I'll say it a million times. "  
  
"Thanks," Bikky muttered, his expression looking like it was somewhat eased. He seemed to be over the fears he had been going through. "Aren't you going to be late for work?"  
  
"Yeah, you're right," Dee said, realizing that he had almost forgotten what time it was. "I better get going before the chief kills me. You going to be okay?"  
  
Bikky nodded, "I am, thank you. You taught me a little more about Ryo. He's not as simple of a guy as he seems and I'm always going to be confused by him."  
  
"But he loves you, so being confusing is okay, right?"  
  
Bikky nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about me, I'm starting to understand a lot of stuff. Now go on, you've got to get to work."  
  
"Call him up," Dee said laughing in response. "Give him another hour or so to get there, and then call him and let him know how you feel. Tell him about the police report."  
  
"Are you going to call him?" Bikky asked, a bit of sympathy showing in the way he talked. "I'm sure he wants to stop fighting with..."  
  
"Yeah," Dee said, feeling a little stupid over everything. "Tell him I'll call later, and tell him I love him. I have a feeling he'll need all the love his family has - just to get through everything. That poor kid..."  
  
"You guys will be perfect for a little girl," Bikky said laughing, with his usual sarcastic nature, but Dee knew that the kid was nothing short of serious. 


	10. Getting Better

Chapter Ten

AN: Here ya'll go, the awaiting chapter ten. Let me promise good things for lovely chapter eleven. If I could ever finish it because of...sniff school.

It did not take long for Caroline to notice how upset Ryo was. "What's going on?" the woman asked, with a slight nod to signify that she had noticed his behavior. "Something happen at home, sweetie?"

"Don't worry about it, Caroline," Ryo said quickly, trying to dismiss everything. "Is the woman going to discuss her lawyer friend today? Are you sure?"

"I talked to Miss Douglass this afternoon, Ryo," Caroline said quietly. "She's a busy woman, being hired by your family and all. It is very unprofessional for her to help find you a lawyer against Nevan, but she likes you, Ryo, and feels sorry for you."

"She sure didn't feel sorry when she read out that list from Nevan's lawyers," he said, not even bothering to cover up the sulking, upset sound in his voice. He had been doing such a good job at keeping his attitude pleasant, but now he felt so down. He hadn't heard from Dee or Bikky and he was going insane with worry.

"Aw, come on, you'll do okay," Caroline assured him, leaning against the bench table they were waiting at. The red haired woman chuckled slightly. "Of course, you'd have done a bit better had you not had that 'recent outburst of violence.' Oh Ryo, Nevan's just reeling over what you did to him."

"That's fine," Ryo told her, trying hard not to sound rude. Caroline was one of his closest friends and he needed to realize that she was there to help him.

"So, what happened to you at home?" she asked softly, indicating that she was not planning on letting him off easily. She laughed, "Oh come now Ryo, I know something happened to you. You're too easy to read."

"Caroline, Miss Douglass will be meeting us here very soon," Ryo muttered, trying to ignore her question.

"C'mon, she said she would be here in a half hour. That's plenty of time for you to talk to your old friend, right?"

"I don't want to," Ryo said, making her laugh. He did come out sounding very stubborn, but he felt like he would get too emotional just trying to talk to this woman. "I have bigger problems then a little argument. It really was not as big of a deal as I act."

"Oh, you had a fight?" Caroline said softly. Ryo quickly mused that with anyone else, such blunt questioning would sound rude, but with Caroline, it was natural. "Oh honey, those things always blow over."

"I know," Ryo said quietly. "But it makes me worry that Dee won't support me in this battle. He promised he would, but he's trying so hard to force me to give Ari up to someone else."

"Now you know that's not his true motive, Ryo!" Caroline insisted, shaking her head slightly. "My mother knew right away that he was a good man, and Mom is never wrong about people. Haven't you ever considered that he may be terrified at what the future brings for you?"

"Evelen is an amazing judge of character," Ryo mumbled, trying to smile brightly. "She really, really is, and I know that I'm being silly. I just got so upset, and Dee got upset, and we messed things up for my family."

"It'll turn out Ryo," she promised, leaning back slightly. "It always turns out well when you love someone that much."

"Thank you," Ryo said as he walked to the other side of the table and hugged the woman. She was such a comfort to the unpleasant way he was feeling and behaving right now. She and her mother had always been family to him as they helped him through tough times. "Caroline, you have no idea..."

"It's not a problem," she said quickly. "Now that woman is coming to this park in the middle of nowhere for us. So we best be ready for her, right?"

He nodded, "Thank you for coming with me."

She nodded in reply and, for a few minutes, the two of them just waited for the woman to arrive. Ryo realized, in those moments, that he was uncommonly nervous. He had been apprehensive in this way before, but nothing like the panic he was feeling right now. He was trembling at the idea of making plans, making changes.

Pretty soon, the strict looking woman arrived, staring at them inquisitively. Ryo knew that she was thinking about Caroline's choice of a meeting place. It had been odd for Caroline to ask Miss Douglass to come to this small park on the edge of town, but he appreciated her choice. It was like Caroline to do such things, and it calmed him down to be out in the open air.

Miss Douglass nodded at them politely, and before either could speak she sat down in front of them. "Thank you for offering this assistance," Ryo said quickly, only to be silenced by her look.

She nodded, glaring over at the two of them. Her reaction was a bit shocking, but Ryo understood the cause for such worry in her. She did not have the legal authorization to get involved with a case and wanted to do this in an objective matter. "I am sorry for such harshness," she said, shaking her head. "I spoke to you about a friend of mine who would be willing to assist you, Mister Maclean."

"Yes Miss Douglass," he said, looking across the table. "Caroline spoke to me of that. I'd love to know more about this."

"All right then," she answered swiftly. "My colleague Leila Hansen is a representative lawyer that has dealt with many inside family custody battles. She has a reputation for successful cases, despite the fact that she is pretty much a business woman for a small company. I think she would be the ideal lawyer to represent your case. She agreed to be hired if you find her appropriate."

"Does she have much experience?" Ryo asked, a bit of seriousness entering his voice. "I mean, I know this woman seems to have a good record, but is she experienced, Miss Douglass?"

"Leila has worked with hundreds of domestic cases and rarely experiences failure," the woman responded.

"Do you believe that this Miss Hansen can prove that Nevan is causing the young child mental harm?" Caroline asked, strong emotions in her voice. "I believe that will become one of the main reasons that Nevan cannot take Elena's child from Ryo."

"I don't know about the specifics," Miss Douglass supplied cautiously. "All I can fairly tell you is that Leila is skilled, and that she is expecting you to call. Here is her contact information."

Ryo nodded as she slipped a piece of paper to him. On it were several forms of contact information for the lawyer Leila Hansen. "Leila is expecting you to contact her as soon as possible. This case will go underway quickly and she needs time to prepare. I also brought along some of the files I was given by your uncle's party because they deal with the deaths."

He took the files, unsure of what they would be. Reports, of course, on all the nasty little details of his life. He could feel the pressure of Caroline looking over his shoulders, so he opened the folder wider and stared down at red inked reports. They were the same words that he had been told over the phone. Caroline touched a hand to his shoulder. "This is a difficult issue to deal with," he mumbled, closing the folder. "Miss Douglass, can this woman handle something so difficult?"

"Yes, I think Leila is more than adequate for your needs," she said quickly, standing. "I honestly do. I usually don't find myself so personally involved, but this case got me thinking about Leila, Mister Maclean, and I think she can do this."

"Thank you," Ryo said, afraid that he seemed too speechless. This woman was just offering up such generous help. It made him feel relieved.

"Please call Miss Hansen," she said quietly. "I'm sorry for leaving like this, but I have to speak to three other clients this morning."

As she walked away, Caroline turned around and smiled comfortingly. "Funny," the red haired woman mused slowly. "When I first met her... I really disliked the woman. Yet, I think her advice might be the best thing for you."

"I hope so," he said not really meaning anything by the words. He was thinking too deeply to understand what she was saying. Yet his thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. "Oh, that's probably Bikky, or Dee. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Sure thing," Caroline said, waving him off. "Go on and make everything right, okay?"

She watched as he walked off to a more private area to answer his call. She knew that he was having home life problems and it made her smile to see him go off to fix them. She had always had liked him since she had met him, when he had been eighteen years old. Sure, she had only been a bit older than him at the time, at about twety one, but Elena hadn't been too old when she'd taken the teenager into her home either. Nobody really thought about it then, but it had been a big responsibility for the wild young couple, Rick and Elena.

Elena had confessed to her that she was a bit nervous. Caroline had been there with her mother, and Elena was hysterical. "I'm not so sure if I can manage," Elena had said quietly. "My big brother is dead,and his son is being tortured by the way he's being treated by his family. I'm the only one who realizes that he's a good kid. I know I'm the only one who can help him, but..."

"It's all right, Elena, darling," Evelen had said. Caroline's mother had an amazing ability to comfort people even back in those days. "Darling, you'll always do what's best cause you've always been smart in that way. "

And, of course, the anxious woman did exactly what she felt was right. Caroline felt that Ryo was probably feeling the same way Elena did. A little anxious, a little terrified, and very strong. The two of them were so alike, that it was surprising.

Before Caroline could let herself get worked up, Ryo came. As serious and thoughtful as he looked, Caroline could tell that he was smiling slightly. He was very glad about something he had just heard. "Good news?" she asked.

He nodded, and she could tell that he was trying to contain his own overwhelming relief. "Caroline, you don't know how amazing my family really is."

"You seem happy," she said nodding. That was a complete understatement, considering he looked completely overjoyed.

"I can't believe the two of them actually talked to each other," Ryo muttered, leaving Caroline unsure if he was speaking to her or aloud to himself. "Wow, the things Dee had to have said. I ... wow. Sorry Caroline, but I am speechless."

"That's fine," she said quickly, following him to the car parked outside in a small lot. "Sure is good to hear someone acting like they're doing okay. Do you want to go over and see Ari and my mother?"

"Sure Caroline," Ryo said, opening the car door. After talking to Bikky on the phone and hearing the intelligent things that Dee had talked to him about, he had no fear of anything that could develope. Assured, he allowed his mind to focus back on Evelen and Ari, who were waiting at Evie's home. "I bet they're waiting."

- - -

As Caroline had predicted, when they pulled into the driveway of Evelen's rather large home, the woman and child were sitting in the yard. Evelen was sitting in a chair on the lawn and Ari was playing with some toys and a red bucket.

When the two stepped out of the car, Evelen smiled calmly. The little girl looked up from the things she was playing with. Ryo noticed that she was such a quiet girl for her age. Usually, around the age of three, children ran rampant with disobedience. Plus, most kids were loud and Ryo had expected a lot of noise from Elena's daughter.

But no, the girl just played quietly and looked up at Ryo and Caroline smiling. Caroline smiled over at her mother, saying a quick hello before dropping to her knees on the grass. "What are you doing, Ari?" she asked, looking at the toys shaped in forms of small animals.

"I have animals," she said quickly, as if it weren't completely obvious. Caroline suppressed a laugh, watching as Ari threw the figurines into the bucket. "They are playing, Auntie." Caroline giggled; Arianne always called her Aunt Evelen Grandmother. It was something Elena had taught her and Caroline found it to be not only precious, but also appropriate.

"I guess they're done then, right Ari?" Caroline laughed softly.

The girl nodded seriously, making Ryo laugh. She was so undeniably cute and she looked so much like both of her parents. "You two best stay here tonight," Evelen said suddenly, standing up slowly. "Did you have other plans?"

"That sounds great Mom," Caroline supplied.

"What do you say Miss Arianne?" Evelen said to the girl who stood up from the grass. "Should Aunt Caroline and your cousin Ryo stay here tonight?"

She nodded quickly, after what looked like serious thought for a three year old. "OK, Gamma Evie," she said silently.

"Why don't you show your cousin your room, Ari?" Caroline suggested, as they walked inside. "Really Ryo, you have to see what Mom did for her."

The girl grabbed Ryo by the hand and began a quick paced climb up the staircase. "Woah, that's a lot of energy," Ryo said quietly, as they reached the door. The girl hurried with the doorknob to open the door into what was evidently a little girl's room. "Evie, sometimes you are too much," he muttered, staring at the walls. They were painted a pink color and outlined with flowery patterns. There was an elaborate bed for a small child in the back and a shelve full of children's books. It was so adorable, like this had been her home forever. Evelen was really doing everything she could to make the girl feel at home.

"Wow, Ari, this is wonderful," he said, looking around the room. "You seem to enjoy books, don't you?"

"Mommy books," the child said, touching the shelf. "And Gamma Evie, too."

Ryo looked at the shelf again feeling a little bit sad. He knew what the jumbled child's speech meant. Elena loved to read to her young daughter, and now Evelen would read Arianne books.He tried to shake of the sadness by talking. "It's very pretty," he said, motioning around the room.

"Don't say that!" she said to him with extreme emphasis on her words. Ryo blinked, moving backwards from the girl. He knew that it was normal, for children to pick up key phrases from their parents vocabulary, but Arianne sounded just like Rick in that moment.

"Okay then," he said, quietly thinking. "Let's go see Grandma Evie then."

He followed her quick footsteps down into the dining room where both women were sitting. Evelen had obviously prepared a lot of food and drink for them. Caroline was sitting, peering over a tiny white teacup. "Hello you two," Evelen said cheerfully, "I've prepared a few things. I know you must be worn out."

"Evelen, you're wonderful," Ryo said quickly, while Arianne scampered to Caroline's side. "This is wonderful - her room is astounding! How did you do that in only a few short weeks?"

"I simply wanted my dearly departed close friends to know that their daughter was at home with me," she whispered silently, as though strained. "And I know that with that room, Ari can feel at home until ... well, you know dear..."

"I know," Ryo said, with a bit of sadness. "But please, this is way too extravagant! If I didn't know any better I would think she had been living there since she was born!"

"I know it is not always wise to measure your feelings in material things," Evelen said slowly, touching the table as she tried to think of the correct words. "Often it is a wrong thing to do. I was just desperate when I heard the news. I had been watching the darling girl when ... it happened. Immediately I wanted to take that child away from your family, and keep her in my home until you were notified. With the help of my baby Caroline, I did it. It was probably awful of me, it was wrong I know..."

"It wasn't wrong, Mom!" Caroline said aloud. The quiet child was sitting at the edge of the table, drinking from a child's cup. She also was holding a doll that must have been lying underneath the table. "You wanted to keep her happy, for goodness' sake! She's a child, not even a child yet, still a baby really. You wanted her to be at home here."

"Thank you, Caroline," Evelen said, smiling slightly. Ryo knew that Evelen and Caroline had a mother-daughter bond that was very well developed. They were a remarkable family of two very strong women.

"Don't say that!" Arianne suddenly shouted, whether to the doll or Evelen, Ryo didn't know. He couldn't help flinch a little bit at the tone of voice the child used.

"Catches you how familiar she sounds, doesn't it?" Caroline asked, touching Ryo's arm from across the table. "She says it all the time... even when it really doesn't make any sense. It's a cute habit for a three year old, but a little disturbing."

"It is," he looked down at the young child with a bit of distraction in his voice. He still had so much to do. He had to check with everything at home and then call Leila Hansen to set up a meeting time with her. The funeral was scheduled for the next Tuesday in the week, and he wasn't sure if he was ready for it. "I was really caught off guard upstairs."

"She's a bright young lady," Evelen said, leaning against the table. "I mean, darling, she picks up on things that most young ones would never. I know you'll have an intelligent one on your hands when she reaches school aged."

"Oh yes," he said, remembering her adult like anguish over seeing Nevan in front of her. She had already made connections that told her that he meant something awful in her life. How many three year olds could accomplish that type of thinking? She was so aware of her surroundings that it disturbed him.

- - -

Upon making a phone call to the lawyer, it turned out that Leila Hansen was a very kindly sounding woman. The woman acted friendly, immediately telling him that his goals were not as impossible as they seemed. She said that she worked with many cases of family deaths. She found it extremely rare for his family to argue with explicity documented papers. He listened, and picked up that she had extreme confidence in her own abilities.

"I don't usually get things like this," she had told him with a laugh. She sounded like a young woman, but very experienced. "Usually, if there are dated documents, the opposition stands no chance. I do not really understand why your relative is... doing this. I believe that it will be easy to make it seem like a personal hatred, rather than care for the child's well being, is his motive."

"It is a personal issue," Ryo had told the woman, trying not to sound too angered or upset. He knew that he could be held accountable for bursts of uncontrollable temper, like using violence against his uncle. He was not completely an innocent victim. "Also, he is ... well, he's wealthy. His money is having a lot of influence on this already. I've only received legal notice in the past day or so."

It was true. He had received legal notice that Nevan was fighting for the guardianship of his sister's daughter, owing to the fact that her written party was, "irresponsible, living a dangerous life, and therefore was a danger to the child."

"Money can do a lot," Hansen had told him, her voice very gentle and friendly. "I am sure that, in your occupation, you've seen the power of money versus the law. Yet, your uncle best be careful before he is nailed with any bribery or blackmail. All he can legally do with his money is hire an underhanded lawyer. And I can honestly say that hiring me will counter the best lawyer's attacks on you."

"Do you honestly think I have a chance at breaking down his influence?" Ryo had asked her, not afraid of sounding weak. He had been made comfortable by her kind voice and paced speech. She was not talking on a level above him like most legals; she was helpful and talkative. "There is so much support that he could buy for himself."

"When is the next time you'd be available to meet? I am sure that you need to return the court files you were sent. I will have Jane send me the information she promised, if I went with your case." She was being evasive, but what could she do until she had facts and information to work with?

"I can meet you on Monday, " he said seriously. "If you're available the then that would be perfect." Monday was the day that Dee would be coming upstate. It was certain that Ryo was still upset, unable to forgive his lover for the type of treatment he received. However, he was starting to understand why Dee had acted that way. Bikky's phone call had explained a lot of it to him. Dee was scared, afraid of changing what they had worked so hard to make. He was only human and this was a lot of strain on him too. Ryo had never imagined how hard Dee might have been trying for him.

There was so much trying going on, and little he could do to enforce his hard work until Monday came around.


	11. Lean on Me

Title: In Trusting Eyes  
Chapter: Eleven  
Chapter Title: Lean on Me   
Warnings: sap/lime-y content (i.e no sex but lots of bathtub cuddling)  
- - - -  
  
Dee arrived at the airport around twelve o'clock Monday. It was a busy area, full of frantic passengers, and the anxious people waiting for them. He searched, eyes focused. Then he saw them.  
  
Ryo was leaning casually against the side of a wall, talking to Caroline, but obviously preoccupied with looking for him. He smiled though, when he saw Caroline say something in a joke. Ryo laughed, and his eyes lit up in the way that told Dee he was really happy.  
  
Before he could stand there and get to thinking, Ryo noticed him over the red haired woman's shoulders. His smile seemed to brighten suddenly, and Dee walked over to them hopefully. Maybe, there was a chance, that Ryo did not hate him. "Hey," he said softly, still feeling the guilt build up inside of him.  
  
"How have you been?" Ryo asked, seemingly reserved, until he threw his arms around his lover's shoulders, and held him as close as he could. He seemed to need no reserve. Dee noticed Caroline smiling shyly at them. She was happy for Ryo, Dee knew that.  
  
"How's going crazy sound?" Dee asked laughing grimly. "I've been going  
crazy, knowing that there was nothing I could do, except think about what a jerk I've been to you.  
  
"Oh," Ryo said quickly, feeling the vibrations of guilt in his lover's  
voice. He seemed to be growing more emotional with every second. Ryo found himself wishing that they could both just move on, "Dee, it's nothing for you to keep... dwelling on."

"But it is," Dee yelled only hushing his voice when he realized the woman was nearby. Respectfully, she pulled herself away from their conversation.

"I can't stop thinking about how badly I hurt you. I promised you that I'd never lose you, but sometimes I'm sure I don't even deserve having you."  
  
"Stop." Ryo's voice was serious, as he kept his hands pressed firmly on  
Dee's shoulders. He moved closer, no longer afraid of a couple snickering voices or stares that might appear. "Don't you think we're going through enough?"  
  
"I know," Dee responded, sounding more serious than Ryo had ever heard him. "I know, and what kind of man am I to have put you through so much more? Why would I hurt you, if we were really in love?"  
  
Ryo let go of Dee's shoulders and backed up a little. "People were meant to fall in love Dee, but we're only human. I think I... I talked to Bikky and I think I see what you were feeling the other night."  
  
"Yeah?" Dee asked wearily, unsure of what Ryo would say.  
  
Ryo smiled, knowing that he would look like an extremely proud parent as he spoke. "Bikky told me that you... well, that you told him how scared you were. It took a lot of courage to admit even that Dee."  
  
Ryo watched intently, as his lover's eyes lowered and he blushed slightly. He was really embarrassed. "Dee, we should have talked more honestly... I'm also terrified of losing our old life!"  
  
"Really?" Dee asked with a small smile. "I always assumed that you were  
incredibly brave, and weren't afraid at all."  
  
Ryo looked at Dee, surprised at the seriousness in that obviously jokingly used statement. "Of course I'm scared. I finally found a place where I belong. I do not want to lose my job. I don't want to loose the amazing relationship we have, or the world I know. But I have to do this, and I need you."  
  
"I was an idiot for making you think that I wasn't going to support you. I'd do anything for you."  
  
"I know," Ryo responded. "It's okay Dee. This whole thing was just so  
unexpected. It's not like you expect the people you love to just disappear. I'm trying hard to do my best, but it's all being clouded by the fact that my aunt and uncle are dead. It's impossible not to think that Ari was denied her true parents."  
  
"It's true that she lost them," Dee said, smiling hopefully, displaying to Ryo his change of heart. "It's too true. Yet she'll have you, and I'll be there too. I know from experience, that not having birth parents doesn't mean you won't know a ton of love."  
  
Watching the two men from afar, Caroline felt her heart beating in her  
chest. She wished that she had the ability to take Arianne away from Nevan, and away from burdening Ryo's unbelievably happy life. But she couldn't right now. Her life was too much of a mess to make the child happy. She was not so secure in her life, like her mother or like Elena was.  
  
She was continuously seeing a man with two children of his own. She could not give that up, as brave as Ryo seemed to be in the face of giving up his own life. He was so willing to give it all up, just to give the child a home. He was a real father figure, one a little girl would be able to trust.  
  
It seemed that they had finished speaking privately, so she inched closer towards them. "You boys ready to go to my Mom's house?"  
  
"Sure," Ryo smiled at her appreciatively, and she nodded. She knew what  
limits she had to respect, and she was happy that the couple had seemed to patch things up.  
  
It did not take long to reach Evelen's house from the airport. It seemed that everything was close together in this town. Pulling up on the house, Ryo watched as Dee had a slight reaction to how large it was. He glanced at it, and then his stare grew. "Woah..." Dee said softly, making Caroline giggle politely.  
  
"I know," she said softly, touching his arm. "Mom just overdoes everything. It's really a wonderful thing for her to invest her time in. She's so happy with what she's done to it."  
  
Upon entering, Evelen stood and quickly reacquainted herself with Dee. Ryo couldn't help but smile. He knew that Evelen had full approval of Dee, and it was really no surprise. Evelen was rash and sharp in her thoughts, and she had pegged Dee as a good man from the moment she'd met him. "Ryo dear, do you think you could check on the dear child for me?"  
  
"Oh, sure Evelen." Ryo barely moved towards the steps, when Dee's hand  
touched his shoulder.  
  
"I'll come with you... if it's okay..." He eyed Evelen and Ryo could see that he was a little apprehensive.  
  
"Oh yeah, it's okay," Ryo said quickly, gripping Dee's hand and leading him upstairs towards Ari's bedroom. Ryo opened the door slowly. "Hello..." he said gently as he pressed the door open.  
  
Dee watched the child's face brighten the moment Ryo entered the room. He obviously had quite the profound effect on the young child. Dee watched in amazement, as Ryo picked up the beautiful child into his arms, and sat down on the frilled pink bed. "Hello miss..." Ryo said in a very fatherly voice."Hi," Ari said childishly, her head twisted to look to where Dee was  
standing. She seemed a little nervous.  
  
"Say something why don't you?" Ryo teased, looking at Dee. "She doesn't  
rememeber you, I'm sure."  
  
"Um... hello..." he whispered, feeling a little intimidated. He felt his voice to be a little shaky. It was shocking how an innocent, trusting pair of little eyes could make him feel that way. She was something else, that was for sure. She smiled at him, and then blushed, dropping her head into Ryo's shoulder.  
  
Dee tried to focus, by staring at the decor of the room around him. "Wow..." he said softly. "Evelen's amazing, isn't she?"  
  
"Dee, their both just... just saints." Ryo sighed softly, knowing that the words were perfect. Caroline and Evelen were two of the most important reasons he was still standing. They were so smart, so loving, and they meant a lot to him right now. "Caroline... sometimes I'm just amazed by how supportive she's been of me. We barely knew each other but she's put so much effort forward to help me."

"I get the feeling that she feels badly about letting you ... change your life," Dee said thoughtfully.  
  
Ryo nodded, looking up at Dee. He never realized that the girl had jumped off of his lap, and moved to her shelves. When she returned to him, she had a book. She sat down, and opened it up, seemingly immersed in the pictures. Ryo looked down at her, and was almost certain the pictures struck certain memories. "Ari, what's this?"  
  
"My favorite book," she mumbled in child-like speech. Ryo looked at the  
picture, and noticed that Dee was trying hard not to smile over the way the child had pronounced her 'r' sound like a 'w'. "I like this," she declared, once again with the garbled speech, and Dee could not help smile. Ryo saw this, and he too was happy. He took Ari's book into his hands, and leaned against the backboard of her bed. The child positioned herself next to him, and Dee carefully allowed himself to watch them.  
  
Ryo's voice shook slightly, as he read a very short fairy tale book to his young child. 'He's everything a father should be,' Dee thought silently. 'He's the strongest thing in the world, yet he's so fragile and loving. How could I ever have doubted that?'  
  
As soon as Ryo finished, the girl declared that there was a horse on the front cover. Ryo smiled over her head at Dee. "She loves animals," he explained softly, as if it weren't obvious from the way she stared at the cover. "Why don't we go downstairs Dee?" Then, after Dee moved to follow him, he stepped back. "Are you coming down, sweetheart?" he asked the child.

She shook her head, obviously focused. He laughed, and then pulled Dee by the hand down the stairway. He was greeted by Caroline, who had obviously been waiting for him. "Ryo," she said quickly. "Miss Hansen just called here for you. No, now take that terrified look off your face! She just would like to move your meeting until tomorrow."  
  
"Oh," Ryo said, relaxing as he allowed himself to breath. "Why?"  
  
Dee's hand was on his shoulder; a reminder that he needed to have a grip on everything.  
  
"She said she had another client in an emergency," Caroline said shrugging, and then quickly changing her points. "I was thinking though, right after she called. Mom and I could watch over Ari tonight. There is no reason for you to even be here, until the case is settled and the funeral is not until Thursday. Why don't you two find a hotel, or something, and spend the night together? It will be more comfortable, and more private for certain."  
  
"Are you sure Caroline?" Ryo asked, a nagging worry inside of him, creeping to the surface. His nervousness made Caroline laugh appreciatively.  
  
"Ryo, why would I offer if I wasn't sure?" she asked, her green eyes  
brightening. 'You two deserve a break from all the strain going on around you. Plus, after you boys find your happy ending, I can go back home and continue working on mine, okay?"  
  
Ryo almost moved to ask Caroline what she was talking about, but the distant look in his friend's eyes forced him to become quiet, and simply nod. "Let's go get your stuff from the car, Dee, and then I'll pack up too."  
  
After a few hours of gathering things and saying short goodbyes, Dee and Ryo were sitting in a coffee shop, located at the end of a comfortably sized hotel. Dee noticed that Ryo looked exhausted, as he leaned over the table. "Are you doing okay?" he asked, pained by the way his lover looked. He had to sigh in relief, when Ryo smiled at him. It wasn't a forced look either, it was very tired, but very relieved.  
  
"Better," Ryo answered, his eyes revealing more to Dee then his quiet words. "I'm just so glad you came up here. I don't want to be alone tomorrow with the lawyer... or... at their funeral."  
  
"I know," Dee reached across the table, gently holding onto Ryo's hand,  
which had been lying flat. "I'm not going to leave you to deal with any of this alone." His thumb brushed across the back of his lover's hand. "Just know that I wouldn't do that to you again."  
  
"I know," Ryo responded, pulling Dee's hand even closer to him. He couldn't help smile at how devoted Dee was. It made it seem like... like there was an end in sight. "Do you think we could go up to our room?"  
  
"Yeah," Dee told him, standing up from the padded booth, extending his arm to wrap around Ryo's shoulders as they headed towards the elevator. "Let's get out of here."  
  
Ryo nodded, and leaned against Dee's shoulder as they stepped inside of the elevator. As it climbed, Ryo realized that once again, he could care less what people thought about the two men. Such a life changing event had forced him to see that Dee's love was all that really did matter. He pressed his body closer to his lover's, only nodding towards the young girl standing in the elevator, who gave an annoyed look.  
  
The elevator stopped at the seventh floor, and the two men stepped out into the hallway. A long walk across a multi-colored carpet, and they winded up at their hotel room door. The gold plate on the front read: 732 in carefully inscribed lettering. Ryo slid the keycard through the door handle, and it opened, blinking when a green light appeared by the corner. When they entered, Ryo sat down on the bed, not caring to do much of anything. Dee, trying to find something useful to do, began to wander the large hotel room.  
  
"I'm glad we decided to go to something nice," Dee yelled from the bathroom, where he explored. He pulled back the violet curtain, and smiled to see a huge, elegant bathtub. "Woah..." he muttered, and then returned to the main room. Ryo had lied down across the bed, so Dee had moved to lie beside him."This is nice..." Ryo said softly, without opening his closed eyes. Dee  
smiled, leaning over Ryo to gently kiss his face. He could not believe how deep his love for the dark eyed man ran. It was more important to him than anything else in life. He couldn't even imagine returning back to the day when all that mattered were his lover's amazing looks, and beautifully deceptive shyness. "Love you so much," Ryo whispered, his voice barely making a sound.  
  
"Love you too," Dee sighed against Ryo's soft skin. "How about this? The tub in the bathroom is huge; why don't I get the water running for us?"  
He watched as Ryo's eyes opened slowly. Ryo smiled, unsure but very  
attracted to the idea. "Are you sure Dee?" he asked slowly.  
  
"If you want to," Dee stated plainly. When Ryo nodded, Dee couldn't hold back the silly "in love" kind of smile that crept onto his face. "All right then, you just get undressed and I'll take care of it."  
  
Dee stepped back into the bathroom, flicking on the light switch. He looked on the countertop surrounding the sink, and looked at the array of items. There were soaps and a tiny bottle of shampoo, along with two tiny glasses. In the center of the tray, there was a round white candle. Smiling to himself, he pulled an old lighter out of his pants pocket, and lit the fire.  
  
The flame flickered slightly, before going up to full blaze. He took off his pants, and stepped into the clean white bathtub. Bending over, he flicked the stopper into blaze, and turned the silver handle towards a warmer temperature. Feeling the water with a hand, he stepped out of the tub, to let it fill. "Ryo?" he called into the other room.  
  
"Yeah?" Ryo asked in reply from the room. "I'm ready Dee, whenever you need me."  
  
"Come on," Dee said quickly turning off the light. When Ryo arrived in the room, he removed the rest of his own clothing. His modest lover was  
undressed, but had a towel wrapped around his lower body. 'Where won't they have towels in a hotel?' Dee thought to himself, grinning.  
  
"Someone's acting a little modest," he said, watching as Ryo blushed. He laughed quietly.  
  
"You get in there first," Ryo muttered quietly, acting just a little bit embarrassed, but even more tired. "I'll come in after you, okay?"  
  
"Works fine with me," Dee smirked, tossing the shirt he had just taken off across the bathroom floor, in a manner that usually would have driven Ryo completely insane. When he entered the dark bathtub, he turned off the flow of water and inched into the hot depth. He pulled back against the side of the tub, making sure there would be plenty of room. "Okay Ryo..." he said when he was situated.  
  
His shape illuminated by the flickering of the single candle, Ryo slid into the darkness provided by the shower curtain, moving to situate himself carefully between his lover's legs. He lay his head back against Dee's broad chest, sighing as a slight layer of water touched his back, easing his sore muscles.

This is so sweet Dee," he whispered, as Dee's hand buried itself in his  
hair. "I just... I just love you so much Dee."  
  
"I love you too," Dee said, moving his hand, carding it through his lover's dark blonde hair, focused on making the older man relax. "Just relax... enjoy yourself here, okay?"  
  
"I am Dee, you've made sure of that," Ryo sighed, and shifted, water  
splashing around him. Dee's hands continued, exploring his body by running  
up and down the folds of his chest. Soon, they stopped, resting on his  
shoulders and gently massaging the pain away from him. Dee reached over to the side of the bathtub, which was also aligned with soap. He took a gentle smelling bottle of soap that he believed said "ocean scent" on the front in large green lettering. Rubbing some of it onto his hands, Dee slid the soft liquid over his lover's shoulders, and then his chest, reaching anything he could in long movements of his arms. Ryo just sighed, lying against Dee, still carefully situated on the tile in front of his lover.  
  
"You're doing such a good job, with everything," Dee said quietly,  
continuing his efforts. "You've always given more than a hundred percent in everything you do. You're more than anyone could ask for in their lives."  
  
"I... that's sweet Dee," Ryo murmured, unable to say much more about his lover's tender words. He dipped his head back against Dee's chest, and to his delight Dee began scooping water from the tub, and pouring it slowly over his head. His hair hung down his face, so much longer than it had been when he first met Dee. "I just don't know if it's true."  
  
"Is self doubt your favorite game?" Dee asked, running hand across the top of Ryo's head, as if he were still a good friend. A brotherly gesture for the close lovers they were, it still made Ryo smile deeply. "I mean it, you've gotta give yourself credit. You've had to deal with stuff that nobody around you could imagine."  
  
"You have too," Ryo muttered, twisting his neck around to look into Dee's deep green eyes. "But I think I know how this fairytale story ends. We realize that every time we've had to deal with pain... we've always learned how to depend on each other."  
  
"True," Dee muttered lovingly, but then laughed. "And we win too, right? The good guys always win. I think it's time for you to slay the evil dragon as well."  
  
"I already came close to knocking the dragon unconcious," Ryo said softly, winking in Dee's direction, before turning back to his comfortable position. "Never heard of a fairytale where the dragon had high paid lawyers and local influences."  
  
"Me neither, but it's a fresh tale, one we're gonna be telling our kids," Dee said softly, making Ryo melt at the significance of his lover's words.  
  
"Our kids..." he repeated softly, feeling the burn of tears behind the  
surface of his eyes. Before he could take another breath, they had broken free of the dam holding them back in him. He cried, but with so much more hope then he had ever. "Oh Dee, you don't know how much..."  
  
"Trust me, I do," Dee said softly, watching as Ryo stood up and stepped out onto the tile floor, pulling a towel around his body. After turning on the light, he took Dee's hand and helped him to his feet. Dee let the water run out the drain, and stepped onto the floor, Ryo handing him a towel of his own. Dee draped it over his shoulders, keeping his eyes locked onto Ryo's deep ones, feeling lost in the way he stared.  
  
"I love you more than anything in this world," Ryo whispered, pulling Dee close in a long kiss. Dee sighed, his hand cupping around the side of Ryo's face instinctively. "No matter what, no matter how much I have to let life change, I won't let you change. I'm not going to lose this."  
  
Ryo sighed contentedly, a tingly feeling all over his body. A gentle, heat induced pulse beat under the flesh of his leg and he could not help the  
comfort his cooling body gave him. He stretched out on the bed, wearing  
nothing except his the white towel he'd taken from the bathroom, and sighed, as Dee's hand ran gently up his back.  
  
Dazed because of the delightful heat all around him, Ryo found himself  
unable to stop thinking about what he had said to Dee. It had been the  
truest thing he had ever said in his life.  
  
"We realize that every time we've had to deal with pain... we've always  
learned how to depend on each other."  
  
- - - - - - - - -  
  
AN: And that was our romantic sappiness for the day. Now back to your  
regularly scheduled angst-fest!


	12. Changes

Title: In Trusting Eyes

Chapter: Twelve

A/N: The long awaited chapter no? Like I've said so many times, sorry for the delay. Nothing has been working out this month for me. Sorry!

"Someone looks happy," Caroline muttered, her happiness evident when Dee and Ryo arrived at Evelen's. It was obvious by the look on her face that she was pleased with her own doing.

"I owe you," Ryo told her, smiling just slightly. He was a little embarrassed over the fact that she had to extend such charity to them, but he was equally grateful to her. Dee went in ahead of them eagerly, and they exchanged a knowing look.

"Have fun?" she asked slyly, touching the back of his arm. She walked over to where her mother had left out some lawn furniture. Taking a seat across from Ryo, she smiled childishly. "Did it help at all?"

"You're the best," Ryo muttered, sitting down and leaning backwards. "You don't know just how much stress you helped us get over. There was so much tension and worry."

"And it begins again today," she said quickly, her expression somewhat grim. "You and Dee deserved it. You're such a strong couple."

"And I thought our worries were over when we got together," Ryo smiled, looking up to see her staring at him attentively. "Dee's crazy for putting up with all of this."

"Not really," Caroline couldn't help herself from saying. She touched her hands together, and decided it was time to be honest about her own life. A week ago, telling Ryo about her own life experiences would have caused nothing but strain for her friend. Yet right now, it could prove to be somewhat inspirational. "He loves you so much, that he'd stick with you through all of this. Trust me, I know what he's feeling."

"You do?" Ryo asked, feeling a bit apprehensive. Caroline leaned forward, obviously contemplating something serious.

"I'm engaged Ryo," she admitted, a shy smile on her face. "His name is Steve, and he's been away visiting relatives."

Ryo couldn't help stare at her as if he barely knew her. His eyes narrowed, and he had so much to say. Yet, not one word would leave him. "Engaged? What... Caroline, why wouldn't you have said anything?"

"It's complicated," she admitted, smiling. "You see I'm going through a lot of what you are right now. Steve was married before me, to a beautiful, wonderful woman named Lisa. Yet, she became terminally ill and died, just a little over a year ago. I've been his best friend for almost six years, but about eight months ago I started getting involved romantically."

"He has kids, doesn't he?" Ryo asked, feeling for information by the way Caroline looked at him, her face bright red. "Is this why you didn't want to tell us about it?"

She nodded, turning so her face was not in his clear view. "Yes, I'm sorry... I'm just going crazy over this... and didn't want to add to the strain. I love Steve's kids... but while they were away I just thought I could help you. I didn't want to add to the confusion. If you knew I was just as screwed up as you are then..."

"Then you couldn't be the hero you are right now?" he asked, touching her arm. He jerked, moving the lawn chair so he could wrap his left arm around her. "Caroline, you are one hell of a woman."

"Hoping to be one hell of a mother too," she grinned, smiling slightly at him. "One day Ryo, you have to meet Steve's kids. Sarah and Kyle, their just little angels."

"How old?" Ryo asked, watching as her eyes lit up. He couldn't believe that Caroline had been keeping these secrets to herself. It was a bit of a shock for her to place on him, but he understood why she'd done it. She had been cautious of all the things going around her, and could not bear to force more onto him. Yet it was obvious that she'd been suffering with nobody to tell this to.

"Sarah's ten and her brother's eight," Caroline smiled. "They are so cute... falling in love with them wasn't easy, but you know what Ryo? I'm sunk."

Caroline cringed for a second, leaving Ryo gripping her arm. Her free hand flung to her head. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"I'm all right," she said, leaning back, hand still pressed against her forehead. "Just have a bit of a headache. I've always been prone to them."

"Okay," Ryo said, breathing slowly again. He stood up, still leading Caroline by her arm. "Let's get inside... and then you should lay down or something."

"Thanks sweetheart," Caroline said, letting Ryo lead her into the house. "I guess this stress really is getting to me. I usually only get headaches like this when I'm really stressed out."

"My daughter is an amazing woman," Evelen said, a bit of pride in her voice over the way Dee spoke of Caroline. "She is the definition of strength, the way she puts others above herself."

"Um..." Dee said slowly. "Evelen, Caroline has hinted a couple of times about things in her personal life. I was wondering if she had anything she wasn't... erm telling us?"

At this, the woman's eyes sparkled. She moved swiftly around the kitchen, turning to face the young man. "You are smart," she said, her eyes flashing just a little bit. "Yes, I believe Caroline was going to tell you two today anyway, but she has been in a long term relationship, and is getting engaged."

While Evelen explained the specifics, Dee listened intently. He wasn't at all shocked. In his opinion, the kindly woman was a saint, designed to make Ryo feel better about himself and his situation. If she had told them about the man and his two young children, Ryo would have felt guilty about accepting the excessive sympathy both women offered. She was being calm, logical and sympathetic to the man's situation. She was the most amazing friend.

"Does..." he asked, feeling a bit of guilt at his need to ask the question on his mind. "Evelen, does Caroline love his children?"

At this, the elderly woman laughed at him. She smiled and tilted her head back, winking at him. "My daughter adores those two angels. She believes them to be her own children, and would die to protect them."

Before Dee could say another world, Evelen continued. "But it took a very long time for Caroline to deal with the fact that the love of her life loved another, and even had children. She thought of Kyle and Sarah as little tiny burdens, who took what she deserved from her. They took all of the love that Steven should have been giving her. But then one day, Sarah came up to Steven, and asked him if Caroline could read her bedtime story instead of her daddy. That was when my baby realized what it meant to be a parent. It is an amazing form of love. One I was lucky to experience when I gave birth to Caroline. You will be lucky to parent Arianne, and she will love you in return."

"Do you think I can do it?" Dee asked, no longer really afraid to show Evelen the insecurity leaking out of him. "I'm so terrified that Nevan is right, and Ryo and I aren't the right kind of parents."

"What do you think of when you here the word 'family'?" she asked with a conviction in her voice. "Do you think of the mother, father and two perfect children of opposite genders? Do you think of the mother cooking dinner while the father reads his newspaper?"

Dee shook his head.

"Well young man, that was what those in my day called a family. It was terrible; it advocated a certain type of stereotype. What about the adoptive parent? What about the single mother or father? What about the families with two fathers or two mothers? That stereotype never allowed any of those types of families in. And you know they give off equal love."

"You're right," Dee said quietly, nodding in agreement.

"Do you know how many people around me hated me, all because I raised Caroline by myself?" Evelen chuckled slightly. "My own mother even threatened to disown me if I didn't find Caroline a proper father. Yet I believe my baby girl grew up just fine."

"Even better," Dee said, trying to sound confident, and not at all nervous.

Just then, Ryo and Caroline entered the room. Ryo was leading Caroline by the arm, walking her into the large living room. "Are you okay darling?" Evelen asked, a look of concern crossing her face.

"I'm fine Mom," Caroline promised, turning her head. "I just got hit with a headache. I'm kind of dizzy right now."

They left the room, and Dee looked to the woman. "Evelen," he said softly. "Do you think she's all right?"

"I think she may be in for a bit of a surprise," Evelen smiled to herself, almost as if she had a personal secret. "We've discussed possibilities, but my stubborn daughter refuses to get herself a pregnancy test."

"You think she's pregnant?" Dee asked, hushing his voice a bit as the words came out.

"I do," Evelen said nodding. "She's missed the day of her cycle by a week and a half, and she's been complaining of odd ailments. Plus, I just get this feeling."

"Was that a mysterious kind of joke?" Dee asked, grinning.

"Yes, I believe it was," Evelen said absent-mindedly. "But my daughter has promised to take a test after the funeral. I will not have my grandchild put in any danger because her mother is stubborn."

"Does Caroline get it from her mother?" Dee asked.

"Yes I believe she does."

- - -

AN: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! These OC's are so much fun to play around with. I'll get the next chapter ASAP. I was going to leave it on this chapter, but I figure it's best to give Bikky's involvement it's own chapter. :Heart: Bikky's been so cooperative.


	13. Family

Title: In Trusting Eyes

Chapter: Thirteen

Summary: Bikky is asked to join Ryo in defense. A funeral causes everyone emotional strain.

- - -

"I've gotta do it," Bikky explained, a serious expression growing on his face, as he began to gather things into a small, light blue colored bag. "If it's gonna help my dad bring that guy down, and get his aunt's kid... then I have to do it."

Cal rolled her eyes in his direction. "I know Bikky," she said grimly. "But you're sixteen! I don't like the idea of you going by yourself. By the way, neither does my aunt, as much as she pretends to hate you."

"I can take care of myself," Bikky retorted, yawning. "You know that. Plus, it's a good time for me to head up there, with school being out this week."

She shook her head, pacing to his side. "I know that..." her voice became slow, sly. "But it happens that I've already bought a plane ticket for myself, and it happens to be on the exact same flight Ryo got you on."

He dropped the clothing that he had been holding. He stood up, using the bed to lift himself. "Serious?" he asked her; unsure of why she would do such a thing. It could not be because she was worried about him. Cal never worried about him, she just-knew better than that!

"Why not say thank you instead?" she asked, smirking at him. "For your information Bikky Goldman, it took a lot of effort to get that ticket. My aunt's fuming mad at me, but I told her that it was something I needed to do."

Bikky did not know what to say. Amused, he resorted to an annoyed comment. "Um... Cal, you didn't need to!"

"Listen up," the girl said seriously, staring at him in a way she never had before. He couldn't help question her validity. "I love you very much, but I am an adult – and you are not. I promised Dee I'd take care of you." Then she began to seem like herself, as a mischievous stare entered her eyes, slowly. "Plus he never said how long and I took that upon myself to decide. Got it?"

He nodded. He had never seen her so bent out of shape, not since he'd known her. Was she really expecting him to get into some type of trouble? He would never do anything to risk something so important to Ryo's future.

"Well come on then," he told her, speaking loudly. "If we're meeting Ryo at the airport tomorrow, then we have a lot to do."

Cal nodded, beginning the preparations with Bikky. Yet before she could even find a bag to hold her things, her aunt called her. "Wait a minute," she told Bikky, before leaving him to sit on her bed with his luggage.

"What is it?" Cal asked, looking at her aunt, who's face seemed to convey her displeasure. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't like that boy," she said seriously, shaking her head. Cal walked around to the back of the armchair where her aunt sat, to sit down on the arm. Usually her aunt would have complained, but it was time they had a talk. Cal placed a hand lovingly on her aunt's arm, trying to calm the woman.

"Auntie, I know you don't like Bikky, and I understand why." There, she had made a case, but still kept on a side that made her aunt comfortable. She shifted, allowing self-pity to creep into the speech. "I know I didn't grow up right."

"Don't say that Cal sweetie!" she exclaimed, shocked at her niece's words. Instinctively, she put her hand on her niece's cheek, looking at her maternally. "Please sweetheart. You grew up the only way you were allowed. It's not your fault."

Cal smiled, leaning closer to her aunt. "I know, but... it's not Bikky's fault either. He grew up just like me. You knew his dad Dick Goldman; he did a lot of work with my Pa. What choice did Bikky have?"

"None dear, but I'd feel so comfortable if you stopped seeing him. He still reminds me too much of a common street kid." Cal cringed, struggling with how plainly cruel that sounded.

"Please!" she shouted, trying to hush her voice so that Bikky would not hear her. "Ryo took Bikky in six years ago. Bikky is a really good person, and if you tried, you'd see that. He had problems, but so did I. Do I have to remind you that at thirteen I was a common street kid, not to mention a brilliant thief?"

"No sweetheart, you really don't have to." She looked excessively pale, and Cal worried for her. She seemed so sad all the time. "I just hate the fact that I couldn't keep you from being that way. If I could have just done something, but I never knew my brother had a girl... He kept your birth such a well-hidden secret. I didn't find out until he was almost d-"

"Auntie, you did do something!" she yelled loudly. "When my pa died, you gave me a home. I feel so happy here. Ryo did the same thing for Bikky, when he had nowhere else do go. Honestly, do you think he's a bad influence?"

She had put her aunt into a tight corner. Cal knew that her aunt loved Ryo, and admired the Detective like no other adult in Cal's life. She believed he was the one positive influence her niece had before she entered the scene. "Randy is a fine young man, Cal, are you know I support him."

"Then will you give his son a chance?" she asked, trying to make light of things. She moved into the chair, to where she was practically on the woman's lap, and hugged her close. "I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart," she said smiling. Cal stood, offering a hand to her aunt. Holding hands, they walked into the room where Bikky waited for Cal.

Cal looked, and saw out of the corner of her eye. Her aunt was breathing deeply, walking slowly towards Bikky. "I wish you the best of luck," she told him, with a tiny gasp of air. "I admire all you are willing to do for your father."

Bikky's eyes widened, making Cal giggle slightly. "Thank you," he said quickly, staring at her. "Does this mean you don't hate me?"

"Auntie?" Cal said, smirking to herself.

"No I don't," she said seriously. "I'm trying, all right, but it's not easy when my niece is in the picture. I really... I'm trying to be family. Cal's just taught me that it means accepting who she chooses to love."

"Um... thanks," he said, shaking her hand.

"Good luck."

"I'm absolutely against it," Ryo muttered, using a pencil to move a scrap of paper across the kitchen table. "Why should Bikky be involved with this madness?"

"Because, he's your kid," Dee said, coming from behind Ryo's chair, and placing his hands on his lover's shoulders. Slowly, he pressed down, rubbing Ryo's shoulders with a slow pace. "He knows the exact reasons why you should be that little girl's father. Any of us can get up in front of a jury, and _say_ what a good father you are. But only your kid can tell them the truth!"

"I suppose," Ryo leaned forward, pressing his head against the table. "But it's scary. Miss Hansen was right in saying that I need Bikky, but..."

"Just be thankful the meeting between you two went well," Dee comforted, smiling. Ryo had spent an entire morning agonizing over how the initial meeting with his hired lawyer would be. It had gone smoothly, with all indications pointing to her skill in the field of law. She would be the woman to help them.

"It did," Ryo agreed. "Miss Hansen is very well prepared for the odd case we're throwing at her. But... it seems much more final then it did last week. I'm starting to get scared."

"That's okay baby," Dee said, unsure of the value his promise held. "I promise you, it'll all turn out just the way it should. That's how nature works out."

Ryo turned his head behind him, his body twisting along with it, so he could pull Dee down and kiss him. "Man, I love you," he stated, smiling to himself. "At first I thought this would make me more insecure about how much I love you, but no, I only do more." 

"Those are words I always want to hear," Dee muttered, grinning to himself. Then his attention shifted to Evelen, who was walking down the staircase with Arianne. The little girl was still in her night clothing, but it was obvious that Evelen had begun to ready the child for her parents' funeral.

Ryo gulped. The pure horror in thinking that this three year old was going to her own parents' funeral; it just gripped him deep inside of his chest. A bit of a tear found it's way to the corner of her eye, and he flung the thought out of his mind. He was just too emotional. He knew her parents were dead. His aunt and uncle were dead. He'd known it long enough to know that there was nothing he could do.

Dee watched intently, as Ryo tried to internalize something.. He knew the man he loved so well. He knew that Ryo was suffering inside, despite anything going on. "Hello Evelen," he said, trying to make up for Ryo's silence.

"Good morning Dee," she said, smiling at him. "Good morning Ryo. Is your son coming to my home tomorrow?"

"Yes," Ryo said, his voice sounding terribly dry. "Bikky will be coming tomorrow morning."

"Maybe, Ryo, you could stand to speak to Caroline this morning?" Evelen asked, her eyes flashing concern. "My girl is taking this event the same way you are."

"What about you?" Dee asked, looking up at the woman – whom he seriously was beginning to look up to. "How are you taking this Evelen?"

Ryo cringed. Usually he would have taken to reprimand Dee for saying something so blunt during such a hard time. But this time, he just smiled and listened to Evelen, his eyes closed. Evelen and Dee had a nice bond, a bond that was helping everyone.

"Elena was one of my dearest friends," she whispered, shrugging. "I suppose I'm taking it a lot like her nephew. Too sad to feel good, too close to feel sad."

Ryo felt his stomach knot significantly. How true could the woman get! He couldn't get himself to feel good on this horrible day, but... he didn't feel upset either. He had gotten over their deaths, but he missed them. It was a crazy way his mind worked.

Dee smiled slightly, also appreciating the effort set forth. He helped Ryo to his feet, knowing very well that his lover didn't _need _his attention. "Why don't you go on and talk to her," he suggested calmly. "I'll help out with everything else that needs to be done."

Ryo could not help smile a little. "You're the best."

"I know."

Ryo smiled at the arroagance he had grown to love. Maybe sometimes the constant happiness was only to hide how hurt he was, but this time it was completely genuine. He marched out to the front room of the house, where Caroline was alone.

"How are you doing?" he asked her seriously.

She looked up and nodded at him, sniffing as though she'd been crying. "Well enough," she said, trying to sound positive. "I'm a little teary, but other than that okay. I can't imagine the pain you're enduring."

"It's weird," Ryo admitted. "When my parents died, I couldn't think of them. I was too wrapped up in what loosing them meant. But... I'm thinking of Uncle Rick and Aunt Elena like you would not believe."

"My mom is too," Caroline murmured, touching Ryo's arm. "They were the most amazing people, sweetheart. I wasn't too familiar with your aunt, but Rick was definitely kind to me."

"You were friends?" Ryo asked, amazed at all he had missed being away from them. "I never had any idea."

"Yeah," she said, nodding her head. "Mom and Elena had been friends for so long, and I met your uncle at a party they held at their house. He was a very funny man... always saw the best in everything."

"I see it now," Ryo said, nodding appreciatively. "You and Rick have similar personalities..."

"One thing I particularly remember," she started, smiling slightly, "was on their anniversary two years ago. He had a portrait painter do a rendering of her, and he stuck it up on a local billboard, along with the message 'This is the greatest mother, wife and friend in all of history.' She had just had Arianne, and was so elated over what he did."

"Elena told me about that," Ryo stated, reaching back to the memory. "Rick was grand and extravagant, and... they were both such good people. And look at how happy they were."

"Don't understand why the world takes away such good people," Caroline said smiling, touching Ryo's hand in a soft friendly manner. "I don't believe in religion honey, but... I do believe in the spirit of life. And frankly, it confuses the hell out of me."

"Me too," he sighed, rubbing her hand and studying her eyes carefully. Evelen had secretively let him know about Caroline's potential condition, while she was out shopping. Yet still it shocked him to think that this fine woman really might be carrying a baby. How was she feeling? Was she scared, or excited? Was she angry, or silently happy?

_ 'I promise that after today, focus will turn to _her,' he thought silently. '_She's given up way too much for me.' _

"I feel a little helpless," he admitted aloud, but then backed his comment up with a calm sense of control. "But I bet you do too... don't you?"

"Everything's just been so messed up," she told him, looking up. "There's all this on this side of the world... and then in London..." Suddenly, she stopped. She looked scared, as she looked away from him.

"What is it?" he asked her, knowing that she was on the verge of bursting. He reached out and put an arm around her. She was a good friend, and he just – hated to see her suffering. "Is he in England?"

She sniffed, leaning closer to him. "Yeah," she admitted in a deep voice. "Steve is from their, and he took... he took Sarah and Kyle to visit their grandmother." A slight smile grew on her face, and she closed her eyes. "Steve always tried so hard to keep them close to their family, but he doesn't really need to..."

"Why not?" Ryo asked, knowing that telling him this was doing the woman so much good.

"Because they're already so connected to their family," she said quietly. "I think they probably always will be. Ever since they're mother died... they've been storybook children to Steve..."

"And to you," Ryo said, chuckling slightly. He winked at Caroline, letting her know that he was entirely sympathetic.

She sniffled again, looking like she was in the middle of a panic. She breathed deeply, and tried to steady herself. "And then there's this whole..." Ryo nodded and Caroline's voice trailed off. She stood up.

"You know?" she asked, shocked. When he nodded, she laughed sarcastically, and then silently spoke. "My mother has been on a talking streak," she said annoyed. "Doesn't she know when I want something kept private."

"Now," he told her, cringing as he realized that he sounded like a parental figure already. "Caroline, Evelen told us because she wanted us to know why you were hurting. We care as much about your life as you do about ours. Don't be such a hero..."

"Guess that's just me," she sighed. "I don't know if it's true... and I don't particularly want it to be just yet. I'm afraid Steve would die of the pressure having another baby would mean."

"If it's true, then you'll make it through this together," he promised, standing up and giving the woman a hug. "You guys are in love, it will work."

"My Ryo, what an idealist you've become!" she said laughing. "Last time I saw you, you were about twenty years old, and I would have called you a: stressed out, paranoid, obsessive 'old' man. Love's affected you, hasn't it?"

He nodded, his eyes wide. "Yeah, it sure has."

"Sure is good to see that times change people," she said yawning. Stretching her arms out, she headed towards the staircase. "I've got to go finish changing my clothes. After the funeral I'll use that pregnancy test I bought... what a happy day this is going to be!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, so silent he didn't know if she could hear. Moments later, he dashed upstairs to his own room, to change his clothes. Dee was already there, partially dressed, and waiting for him.

"Hey," Dee said, looking at him. Ryo almost wanted to cry. Dee didn't have to say anything to make him feel better; all that his lover had to do was touch his arm, and pull him close for a moment. He nodded, and then went to his drawer where he had left out the only appropriate clothing he had.

When they finished, Dee and Ryo headed out to the small car they had rented. Evelen and Caroline would meet them at the funeral. "You look nice," Dee told Ryo, sitting in the driver's seat. Ryo thanked him for that; because he was afraid of the quality he could do anything today.

"I'm a wreck," he told Dee, lying back against the seat. "I'm trembling and... I feel like a can't breathe."

Dee, trying to keep his eyes on the road he was driving down, took one hand off of the wheel to touch Ryo's arm. Ryo was trembling, and on a glance, Dee could see that he was pale. "Calm down baby," he said, grimacing as Ryo tried to fight off the strangling fear.

Ryo's eyes open and shut for a few minutes, and then Dee heard his lover take a deep breath. "Sorry Dee," he muttered, his head hung downward. He seemed genuinely embarrassed, so Dee tried to offer a word of comfort.

"Nothing to be sorry over..."

"I haven't panicked like that since I was a little kid," Ryo admitted. "Oh god, that hurt. I'm fine now... Dee, don't worry. Let's just get to this funeral, and get it over with."

Dee nodded, shivering himself. He hated to see Ryo in that broken up kind of state. Ryo was strong, ever resolving things like this.

About ten minutes after Ryo recovered from his terror, they arrived at the funeral. The area was nice. It was green and fresh, and the opposite of the fabricated death most people in the country worshipped. It made Ryo remember something Elena had said once, with Rick backing her up on it.

"I respect people's choices and all," Elena had said seriously, a hand on her hip. "But when I die... Ryo honey, please don't put me in a concrete chamber. You know what I mean? All the fancy buildings and headstones, stuff like that. I just want to be buried like they did in the old days – nature perfect."

"I'd have to agree with you darling," Rick had said, a look of admiration in his eyes. "It is much better to have an natural funeral. My dad did... and it just makes one more comfortable."

"This is a good place," Ryo told Dee, snapping out of his remembrance. He smiled at the tiny wooden building, following by a graveyard with small gravestones and fresh nature. "This is where they would have chosen. Evelen once again did an amazing job."

"Gonna be okay?" Dee asked, smiling.

Ryo nodded, and whispered, "Let's do this."

About an hour later, Dee was holding Ryo's shoulders, letting him sit and think, listen to the speakers, and do just about anything he wanted to during the funeral. Finally, came the time for the silently crying nephew to speak about his aunt and uncle. What he said came as a shock to many.

He cleared his throat, and looked down at the group of people who had assembled before him. Tears threatened his eyes, as he saw many people he had met throughout the time he'd lived with his aunt and uncle.

"For those of you who don't know who I am," he said, keeping his voice calm. "My name is Randy Maclean, and Elena was my father's younger sister. Um... well, how do I begin? When I was eighteen, both of my parents died in a tragic car accident."

There was a scoffing noise made from the back of the room, and Dee turned to see a vicious looking woman. Caroline leaned over his shoulder. "Dee, that's Lila, Elena's other sister. Ryo's just gonna have to ignore her."

"Whatever anyone may think," Ryo said, looking pleasantly at the crowd. "It was tragic, and I didn't know how to deal with it."

"Isn't that sad?" Lila murmured quietly, meriting nasty looks from the people around her.

"But Elena and her husband chose to take me into their home. And everything started to get better for me... everything that had fallen apart was being repaired. Those two made life for me – a perfect place. I enjoyed all of the things we did together, from the time I moved in to the time I left to train for my future profession. Rick told me that I had to follow my dream, so I left the people I loved.

Rick and Elena were the world's greatest parents. When they had their baby daughter, both of them were overjoyed. She was a vision of perfection for Elena, who had wanted children for so long. Though short lived, she gave her child everything she gave me."

Dee looked up, as Ryo stopped, and sobbed unintentionally. "I'm sorry," he told the small group he was addressing. "I can only hope I will do the same, to my own son – and to their daughter."

Lila, from the back of the group made a noise, and Caroline shot her a look.

"I love my Aunt Elena, and my Uncle Rick," he told them all, the statement so plain and so innocent that it drove pain through everyone. "And I swear, I'm going to honor their lives, and give their baby girl the exact thing her parents gave me. Taking in a parentless child, it's quite a feat. But if they could do it, then I will too."

"Not if my brother has anything to say about that!" Lila shouted, causing a silent gasp to cross the group. Evelen stood, and Caroline crossed the aisles of outdoor chairs to walk straight towards her. Dee could not help but feel momentarily paralyzed with disbelief.

Dee looked at Ryo, who had the look of a terrified child on his face. Touched by his lover's devotion to his family, Dee stood up boldly. "If his family wasn't so tainted with witches like you, then there really wouldn't be a problem, would there?"

"Who asked you?" she snapped, turning many more heads. "Oh my god, no wonder they're going to give the kid to an upstanding man like Nevan. What were they going to do, let a pair of queers raise that kid?"

"Say that again, you hag," Dee stared at her viciously, just daring her to speak another word. "And I'll show you just how defensive a man like me can get." He stood, just about ready to kill the woman.

"God would never let you get that child," Lila said seriously. "In that I am firmly convinced."

"People," Caroline whispered, not entirely heard by anyone. "Stop... this is a friend's funeral."

"I don't know what they were thinking by letting that woman in here," Ryo swore he heard Dee shout, but he was too dizzy to hear. "You know that good will triumph in this one lady."

"Go to hell, you and all those like you!"

There were a few more choice words and insults, and then the managers of the funeral home kicked both Dee and Lila out of the ceremony. Ryo shook his head, and saying his quick final goodbyes, he too left. "I'm sorry for this," he told his aunt and uncle, as he passed them for the last time. He made sure Ari was safe with Caroline. "I guess you dying couldn't even bridge the gap in this family. It'll all be okay though, I promise you that."

When Ryo got outside, Dee was standing, leaning against a tree. When he saw Ryo, he looked up, his face guilty. "Oh god, Ryo... I'm so sorry!" he said quickly, shaking his head.

Shocked, Ryo realized that Dee was embarrassed and ashamed for his actions. It was possibly the sweetest thing he'd ever seen. "Sorry?" he asked.

"Yeah, I totally lost it," Dee said, looking at him sincerely. "I tried so hard not to say anything. But I just lost it... when I knew how important the things you said about your family were to you. She was destroying the peace, and well, I destroyed it even more I guess."

Ryo shook his head defensively. "Are you kidding?" he asked, throwing his arms around the other man. He whispered in Dee's ear. "You got yourself thrown out of my family's funeral... and I don't think I've ever been more in love with you."


	14. Togetherness

Title: In Trusting Eyes

Chapter: Fourteen

Summary: Caroline finds out the results of a drug store pregnancy test.

A/N: I'm sorry that this story has been so slow. I just haven't had much time to work on it. I have been swarmed with stuff to do this month.

- - - -

_Airport, _read the sign in metallic gold lettering. Ryo shook his head, realizing that he had spent way too much time in and around this building. He had decided to bring Caroline with him to the airport. The poor woman was nervous and needed a little drive. "Do you see your kid?" she asked, as they pulled in front of the airport, at the terminal Bikky was supposed to be coming from.

He shook his head. "No I don't." But the instant the words came from him, he found his son and Cal standing by a large stone memorial. He honked the car's horn, too delighted to see both of them there.

Bikky opened the door, allowing the girl to slide further into the backseat, and then he followed. Ryo found himself marveling at his son's grownup look, even though the last time he'd seen him was little over a week before.

"Hey," Bikky said, smiling. Cal found herself suppressing a giggle to see Bikky's macho behavior interfering with his delight at seeing his father. It was just the cutest thing in the world. She found herself slinking in the back, just watching.

"That's for sure," Ryo said, looking about as if he were having trouble keeping his eyes on the traffic around him. At that moment, everyone realized just how sentimental he really was. He laughed off the feeling of vulnerability by forcing his eyes ahead of him. "It's great that everything went all right. And I might add… it's a little shocking to see two of you here."

Cal just about hit the roof of the car as she bounced out of her seat in defense. "Sorry if I'm intruding on your family… I'll get a hotel room or something, but I just didn't want Bikky going all by himself!"

"That's fine." Ryo twisted his head just enough to glance at the young couple. "I'm happy to know someone was keeping him out of trouble. Plus, you're as good as family young lady."

Caroline laughed, amazed at the adorable family sitting in the veichle with her. "You're all perfectly welcome to stay at my mother's home. It's large and Mother loves having people around." She could not help the soft laughter exiting her. Ryo was such a family man!

Ryo sprung to life, realizing that he was talking very rapidly. Dee had once called him out on that. "You talk really fast when you're nervous," Dee had said winking. "Why is that?"

Ryo grinned, just thinking about that. "Sorry you guys…. Sorry so much. This is Caroline, she's a friend of my family's. She's just another member of it, to be exact."

Caroline laughed, an amused look coming on her young face. "Hi kids," she said with a nervous giggle. "Like he said, I'm Caroline and I'm along for the ride."

Introductions all around him, Ryo leaned back into his seat and moved to get home as quickly as possible. Dee, Evelen and Arianne were waiting for them to arrive. '_This is really, really nice,'_ he thought. '_And all of this time I was convinced I didn't have a family.' _

To nobody's surprise, they were greeted by three anxious people on the front porch. Dee practically jumped from where he was sitting the moment the car pulled in. This made Ryo laugh. When Bikky got out of the car, Evelen clasped her hands over her mouth.

"Ryo!" she said in shock. "Don't tell me that this young man is the 'little boy' you've talked so much about!"

Ryo laughed, and Bikky took it humorously, which made Ryo grin helplessly. "Bikky, this is Evelen."

The old woman shook Bikky's hand, and smiled like she had a deep dark secret.

"What is it mom?" Caroline asked, watching as her mother stood there beaming. Sometimes Evelen had the oddest of reactions. "You look ecstatic over something…"

"Look at this Caroline!" she yelled, her voice escalating with excitement. "This is a beautiful family… it's just amazing sweetheart. It proves to me that there is hope for us all."

Just as the final hopeful word was said, the little girl who had been patiently watching ran into Ryo's arms. She was babbling something about her Ryo. This made him chuckle. Dee had said it so often in the last week, that "My Ryo," was a new part of Arianne's vocabulary. As embarrassing as he claimed, Ryo loved every second of it.

"Look who we have here," Dee said quietly, admiring his handiwork on the girl's vocabulary. "Well, well… it's a good thing you're back. Your little princess has been waiting – very impatiently I might add."

"I guess she got her patience from her daddy," Caroline said, stepping gingerly. She seemed to shudder with each step, nerves over her impending problems touching her behavior.

When Cal finally gathered the bag she was holding, which was falling apart, the young woman stepped out of the car. Dee smiled, and Cal immediately rushed and hugged him. She dropped her broken baggage on the floor.

"Told you I was gonna take good care of him." She smiled smugly, and Dee couldn't help but smile stupidly.

"Good job?" he asked, an amused smile on his face.

"Yeah, she did all right I guess." Bikky, from the corner spoke sarcastically, but his attention turned immediately back to Ryo. "So, when do we wipe the smug look off of that rich slimeball?"

"Bikky!" Cal from the other side of the lawn shook her head. "Don't be an idiot already!"

"Soon." Ryo's statement was innocent enough, but it gave Bikky a big rush of protectiveness. He came very close to his son, wanting to speak more privately. "Things go okay down there?"

Bikky nodded. "Oh my god, Ryo, you'll never guess," Bikky said, his eyes wide. "She got the witch to apologize to me."

"You mean her aunt?"

"Of course I do."

"Okay then, that's great." Ryo smiled, speaking to his son like he was still the ten year old he had picked up so long ago, but with so much more respect. "Told you she wasn't so bad. You're with an amazing girl though, that is no doubt."

Bikky nodded, sticking outside with Ryo as the others moved inside of the building. He decided that now was the best time to say something that sounded good. "Um… so that's the kid, right?" he asked uncomfortably.

"Yeah."

"Wow… I guess I kind of … don't say a word about this, but I like kids," Bikky cringed, looking at his dad. "I'll do anything to help you take care of her."

Ryo felt a surge of happiness, and he relished it. It would be short lived, but Bikky knew that everything just had to be calm for a few more days. In two days, all hell would break loose.

When they entered the large building, Evelen was in the front room, speaking to Caroline in hushed tones. Caroline noticed them, quieted herself, and spoke to them. "Well , Ryo, you have the most beautiful family I've ever seen in my entire life. Dee and that lovely young girl took Arianne upstairs to play for a little while."

"Dee's too much…" Ryo said.

"That man of yours sure likes kids," giggled Caroline. "But he won't let anyone know of course."

Bikky and Ryo exchanged a glance, and headed up to the room, allowing Caroline and Evelen the respective privacy.

"Wow, this is huge," Bikky stated as they entered the child's room. Arianne was showing Dee some toys from a bucket, probably ones she'd had for all of her life. Children tended to take the oddest interests, but Dee was staring intently.

"Hey guys," Cal said, watching as Dee was holding up some figurines. "Oh my gosh, Bikky, she's just the most adorable thing ever."

He nodded, not objecting. For awhile he just watched with Ryo, as the game went on. It was the cutest thing he had ever seen. But time couldn't be frozen forever.

"Hey," Ryo said, touching Bikky on the shoulder. "Do you want to come with me? I've got to go into the city and pick up a packet of paper from my lawyer. Now that you're added into this fiasco, there's a lot more to deal with."

"Sure thing," Bikky said, and headed downstairs behind his father. 

Caroline and Evelen were standing together once again, but this time, they both seemed on edge. "Oh are you leaving Ryo?" Caroline said with a shaky voice. Her hands were trembling as well.

"I was going to go pick some papers up from Miss Hansen," Ryo said. "Why? Caroline, are you okay?"

"Do you have to go right away?"

"No, just before five." Ryo was serious as he reached for his friend's hand. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing serious!" Caroline raised her hands in defense. "I know I look like death, and it's only been about a minute. I just want you to stick with me until the _results show." _

"I keep telling you baby," Evelen said, her voice soothing. "You are probably pregnant, and if you are then it is the gift you and Steven have been waiting for."

"It could bring so much peace to our hectic lives," Caroline consented. "But what if Steve hates the idea of having three children?"

"Steven will not."

Ryo moved silently to Caroline's side, and held her, moving to the sofa. "I think you having a baby would be a wonderful thing," he told her, whispering each word. "I think we all would benefit from you bringing us something beautiful."

"Ryo…"

"And we'll support you like you've supported us. You'll have me and Dee on your side as well."

"Thanks," Caroline leaned into Ryo, and without words, stood again and entered the bathroom. Nobody said a word. Ryo stared at Bikky, trying to distract himself.

Caroline returned, and her hands weren't shaking anymore. Her eyes were wide and her face was plastered with a tiny smile. "Well Mom," she said softly, embracing Evelen with all of her strength. "You know how you thought you were never going to see a grandchild born… Well mom, you were wrong."

The woman's demeanor had changed in an instant. Horrible nerves had given way to a softer, bouncier Caroline. "I… I can't believe it!" Evelen stammered and Caroline moved to the others.

"I'm very, very happy about this," she told Ryo, containing her excitement. "Oh my, this is wonderful."

"I am so happy for you," he told the woman, thrilled at her new delight. "What brought on this change of outlook?"

"No more fear," the woman stated, smiling at him. "I'm not feeling any anxiety of all. And I'm anticipating Steve's reaction – oh Ryo, he's gonna be thrilled!"

For a moment, Ryo just watched as Caroline spoke rapidly, stating her obvious delight. "Oh my gosh Ryo, I've got to go upstairs and tell Dee! Is Ari up there too? Oh good, I'll be back!"

He looked at her, and felt that she was a different woman. "I've got to go pick up a packet of paperwork," he said, getting his first words in five minutes.

"Hurry back!" she called, halting halfway up the staircase. "My baby and I will be waiting for you!"

Pulling his son to follow him, Ryo walked out of the house, laughing at the dramatic Caroline. Seeing his friend as an excited first time mother was a beautiful sight, but he had to get to his lawyer's offices before something else in her busy schedule conflicted.

"You're late." Leila Hansen's first statements to Ryo were less that comforting. He appreciated his lawyer's hard work and devotion to her cases, but Leila Hansen was stern and punctual. She believed that without exact, proper care, Ryo's case would fail.

Bikky gave Ryo a quick glance of concern, but Ryo just smiled pleasantly as always. "I'm so sorry Miss Hansen," he said respectfully. "There was a personal announcement in my family, and I was delayed."

"You're going to be delayed when you lose this custody battle," she said in an overly pleasant tone. "Please, Mister Maclean, refrain from being late again. I run things differently then most… on my terms."

"Sorry ma'am…" he said, somewhat subdued. "Now what did you need me to take?"

The lawyer nodded quickly, pulling a red folder out from beneath her. "The process of these forms is simple," she said curtly. "Take these to the man contesting you and get him to sign the first form. Then you fill out the rest with the required information on him. Any questions?"

"When do I need to have them to you?" he asked her.

"Tonight."

He nodded again, feeling once again intimidated by the disciplined woman. He tapped Bikky on the shoulder, leading the young man out of the room.

"Gorilla Lady!" Bikky burst out, the moment they'd exited the building. "She's on your side?"

"I know, she's horrible," Ryo said, laughing nervously. "But she's incredibly cunning and sometimes a bit underhanded. She's incredibly intelligent."

"Still something out of a horror movie."

"Yeah."

"So," Bikky said, as the car began to move. "Are you going to get that paper signed?"

Ryo nodded. "You don't mind?"

"No." _'I want to size him up,' _Bikky thought angrily. _'No different than any other jerk trying to push someone around.' _

AN: Yes, an annoying cliffhanger. But I'm really trying to plan what I want to do from here… so bear with me! I'd rather have a short good chapter than a long one that has no purpose.


	15. Strength

Title: In Trusting Eyes

Chapter: Fourteen

Summary:

A/N: Haha! Inspiration strikes at last! But yes, my villainous characters are less than dimensional, and even make me laugh at how ridiculous they are. But there are people like that, I swear!

- - -

A bare scowl met them at the gate of the estate. Ryo smiled, self-assured and Nevan just glowed in his anger. It gave them a few seconds glory, just to see Nevan acting edgy.

"What are you doing here?" Nevan snarled. "I'll have my lawyers down here if you don't get the hell off of my property."

"I don't remember there being a restraining order," Ryo sighed softly. "Now will you let me in? I have paperwork from my lawyer." Ryo said each word boldly, stressed like Nevan would regret ignoring them. Bikky watched in awe as his dad continued the poised kind of stare. He looked like he could attack the man at any given second. The man still scowled angrily, obviously wanting to speak, but feeling intimidated by the intrusion. It was like most tormentors, to be afraid when they had no preparation.

"Into my study then," Nevan said, trying to act on top of his words as he pressed a button, opening the gate. Bikky and Ryo followed him up a long, twisted path to a house even larger than Evelen's. They entered.

Then another twisting hallway, and they reached a room with a gold inscribed plate on it's front. Nevan opened the door, and Ryo gripped his son's hand at the near hysteria inspired in him the moment he saw his Aunt Lila sitting in an armchair.

Nevan could do anything, and it would not affect Ryo like the way Lila had disrespected his family. People had been sitting at that lovely place, to honor the people they loved, who had died, and all she'd done was taunt those who'd loved them most. Her verbal abuse in the midst of a funeral was more than he could take.

"What's she doing here Nevan?" Ryo spoke, and Bikky, though not understanding why, knew that this woman had done something to make Ryo hate her so much. He didn't hate anyone – but anyone in the room with them could have felt how much he hated her.

"Calm down, nephew," Nevan said calmly, the edge back on his side. "Lila is my consultant and aide in the need to retrieve our niece from certain corruption."

"Oh yes, a loving home really is a shameful thing, isn't it?" Ryo asked, containing his already ignited temper. He had never gone so far without bursting, Bikky noticed in awe of the display.

"Sure sounds loving," Lila snorted, her face shrouded in sarcasm. Then she burst out laughing. "Oh! I wonder what our niece would say if she walked onto her 'daddies' in the bedroom!" She laughed hotly, leaning back in her seat.

Nevan chuckled too, a smug smile on his face. Then his voice heightened to sound like a little girl's voice. "Daddy! Daddy" he snorted. "I just found out something! You're doing it all wrong!"

"Shut up," Ryo said, without the anger that had been expected of him. "As much as I'd like to hear your jokes all day, I have things to do."

How the heck was Ryo behaving so calmly, Bikky wondered, fury building up behind him. He could remain quiet and respectful too, but not after they had made stupid comments about how his dad's private life made him unqualified. What people choose to do in their private lives was none of their business, and had nothing to do with how qualified they were to be parents.

"Shut up you freaking lunatic!" Bikky shouted, barely aware of the words as they came from him. Sure, he'd said some dumb, prejudice things in his past, but this just made him sick. "I'll tell you right now, you homophobic bastard, that whoever my dad chooses to be with… it doesn't change his ability to be my dad! You're just sick! You're doing this because of your own jealousy… This is wacked out."

Bikky stopped, embarrassed and somewhat ashamed by his actions. He just hated to see Ryo stand there and let himself be degraded by that idiot. "Sorry." The word was small, simple. Ryo nodded, his hand to his son's head. "Don't worry," Ryo murmured.

"Oh!" Nevan said quickly, his eyes wide. "Is this your brat? The delinquent little …"

"Nevan." Lila spoke, shooting Nevan a look. Ryo and Bikky both stared at her, and they knew what her problem was. She was very educated about what she was doing, and how to reach the goal. They could say all they wanted about his homosexual lifestyle, and nobody would care – but a comment about Ryo's child, could kill their case. It _would_ kill their case – if it were a race-oriented comment like they knew it was going to be.

"Just sign the papers," Ryo spat, nearly growling out his demand. With that, the long session of torture and anger was over.

"I'm really sorry, you know," Bikky said the moment the car was on the street. "I just listened to what he was saying, and I … lost it. Kind of like I lost it on those thugs I guess."

"It's no problem," Ryo said, seriously. "Just what I wanted to say, in fact."

"Still sorry… it just really got me, that people could be so prejudice still," Bikky sighed. "It's not like I don't get it all the time… but damn, they think that's going to make you a bad parent?"

"I know it," Ryo sighed. "Oh, I just want to get home. Caroline's pregnant, and I couldn't be happier! I'm just in disbelief how happy she is now." 

Bikky smiled. Changing the subject was always a great defense. They didn't have to bring up what Nevan _almost_ said. "It was cool," Bikky admitted. "Her face changed completely. I had no idea she was even wondering."

"She's early on," Ryo sighed softly. "Very early on. Evie's going to be a grandmother too… it's just what everyone needed."

"That's good," Bikky said, almost blankly. "I wish I could do more than sit there and tell everyone how good you are. Nobody's going to really care."

Ryo laughed, his hand on his son's shoulder. "Trust me," he said. "I care."

The moment they returned to Evelen's home, Ryo rushed up to an upstairs room to work with his files. Bikky found himself somewhat alone. He went to the upstairs level as well, but to the young girl's room. He found nobody in the room, and found himself marveling at it. Ryo had not been over exaggerating. This probably made him feel odd, like he was stealing his aunt's child from an already capable home. It was weird.

"Hi hi!" A tiny voice from behind him spoke, making the teenager turn and find a young girl staring at him. She entered the room and stared at him, curiously. "You my Ryo's?" she asked happily.

He couldn't help the smile as he sat down. "Yeah I guess so…"

"My Ryo reads," she stated gloriously, handing Bikky a fairytale. Bikky couldn't believe his eyes as the girl jumped onto her bed, and waved her hands furiously for him to sit on it with her.

'_She wants me to…' _he thought, as his thoughts seemed to trail off in his mind. _'When did everything change?' _"All right then," he said, taking the book and sitting down. The book looked slightly worn.

"You really like this, kid, don't you?" he asked. She nodded. He vaguely remembered Ryo telling him something about a book that the girl constantly requested he read to her. "Okay then…"

Cal stood at the door to Arianne's room, giggling hysterically, all the while holding a hand clasped over her mouth. "Bikky, you're too cute," she murmured, watching as the only boy she'd ever been interested in sat on a frilled pink bed, reading to a three year old.

"And then there was a prince, fighting all of the kingdom's enemies," he said, laughing self-consciously. If only he knew he were being watched! The little girl giggled, pointing at what was probably an interesting picture.

Cal turned her eyes, and saw Dee standing at the edge of the hallway. She motioned for the man to come closer. Dee walked over, and Cal motioned for him to be quiet. She pointed into Ari's room.

Dee could hardly contain the shock. "It would serve the twerp right if we both walked in you know?" he told the girl. But when she looked over, he laughed. "It's nice though, so I'll be good."

"Aw," Cal said, grinning as Bikky smiled at the little girl he was reading to. "I never would have thought he had this in him."

Dee winked, motioning for her to be quiet.

"And it was over," Bikky read silently to the girl. "The evil was taken over, and the people were able to live happily ever after." Bikky heard a slight giggling from outside of the room, and he knew he was caught. Cal was too sneaky to miss out on this opportunity. As soon as he finished, he tucked the book onto Arianne's bookshelf, and stepped outside of the room. "Hey guys, what's up?" he asked Cal, making the girl blush.

Arianne followed, laughing at the hysteric Dee, who acted like he wasn't listening to anything.

"Nothing Bikky…" Cal said quietly. "Nothing."

- - - -

AN: Yay! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It is true, that I have no motivation for angst right now. But – I'll just warn that tomorrow, or the next chapter, brings us a struggle.


	16. A ending in sight?

Title: In Trusting Eyes

Chapter: Sixteen

Summary:

"This is making me sick."

Dee turned his head, concern rushing over him the moment he studied Ryo's features. He found that his lover was pale, a sick tiredness brushed onto his face. "It'll be…"

"I know," Ryo said quietly. "If I could just stop thinking, then I could do this without another breath. But I can't help the thoughts spinning. They're killing me."

Dee took a swift step, before pulling the other man into his arms. Ryo hesitated for a moment, but then let himself sink into the arms he loved so much. He wasn't really scared, he was just so nervous it hurt him inside. He felt like choking, getting sick, but he calmly held those thoughts down.

"Nothing can go wrong," Dee said slowly, telling that to Ryo over and over with his eyes. "Nothing will go wrong…"

"I know," Ryo said, entering the courtroom building, intimidated by it's several stories of massive gold architecture. A large seal stood at the top of it, making him feel small and insignificant. "God, Dee it seems like the building itself is supposed to scare us."

At the entrance to the building, a metal detector and radiation machine sat, along with three men in security uniforms. "I need some I.D," the first man ordered.

Ryo quickly presented the man with the correct identification. Dee looked for it in his wallet, quickly but flustered as well.

"This with you?" the man asked laughing. Ryo smiled good-naturedly, trying hard to relax as Dee flashed his identification. Both of their things, only paperwork, were sent through a machine that sent radiation to identify any illegal matter.

'_Never can be too careful,'_ Dee thought sighing, as he passed through a metal detector, and reaching Ryo, who's hand he grasped comfortingly.

"Do you think Evelen and Bikky are already there?" Ryo asked softly. "She said she had to run some errands, and would be at the courthouse."

He had asked both Evelen and his son to appear at the courthouse, because as the person with temporary charge of the young child, and Ryo's current adoptive child, their opinions and factual evidence were both very much needed.

"She'd never be late." Dee's comfort did some good to Ryo, and he sighed, letting some of his discomfort slow. He walked quickly over to a directory, finding the building very quiet and clean, almost giving off a sterilized feeling.

"It's taking place in room 5A," Ryo said quickly. Dee nodded, and headed to the elevator port, following Ryo who walked swiftly.

Standing, the blood rushing through his head, Ryo waited for the elevator to come. Just when he was about to break the uncomfortable silence, a red light lit on the wall and silver elevator doors parted open.

Stepping inside, Dee flinched slightly, making Ryo chuckle. He knew how much his lover hated elevators.

"Don't know why," Dee once said to him. "I just remember watching a cartoon show one day when I was little, where the elevator cable snapped. Couldn't ride them till I was about nine. Even now they just bother me."

The elevator began to rise, a humming noise and some gentle motion propelling them to the correct floor. Dee squinted as the elevator doors split. "I've never felt an elevator move like that," he commented softly.

Ryo nodded.

The floor was an intimidating site. It felt as if the entire fifth floor were cut in half, only half of a solid ground, the back half being all for personnel and emergency exits. The entire wall facing the street was made of large glassy windows. It was very sunny outside, and a bright light shimmered through the glass, causing an unpleasant warming. At the end of the long corridor of heat, Ryo saw a face that made him smile with extreme relief. "Oh, Evelen," he muttered softly, rushing to her.

"Hello darlings," she said, smiling. Bikky saw them too, and stood, reaching them quickly. "This is a miserable place, isn't it?" 

"I know," Dee said, looking around uncomfortably, tapping his foot against the oh-too-sterile floor. "It's unnatural, isn't it?"

"I don't like it," Evelen stated firmly. "I walked into the room and it was dark. A man passed by this floor and let me know that the judge would not be coming in until exactly ten o'clock."

"Oh man," Ryo slumped against the wall, his chest quivering. He laid back against the wall, smiling and laughing in fear. "I can't do this … I'm gonna be sick."

Bikky seemed to look a bit uncomfortable, but didn't say a word. Dee was quick to jump in and help Ryo.

"Please, baby, it's going to be fine," Dee sat next to Ryo, and threw his arms around the other man's shoulders. "There's no way anything can stop you… you're a wonderful guy and nobody can compare you to that family of yours."

"A small fortune maybe," Ryo choked softly.

After another fifteen minutes of calm fear, a young woman with dark skin and short auburn hair opened the brown doors. "You can enter the court room. I'm judge Ryan's assistant, Claire."

"Hello," Ryo said, shaking her hands. Helping Evelen to her feet, they entered the room. Dee gasped slightly, but hid it from Ryo. Bikky noticed, and couldn't help laugh. He had been thinking the exact same thing about this huge room.

The room was massive, the same seal emblazoned on the floor. Three rows of benches sat in the back. Dee, Ryo, Bikky and Evelen sat down on them, waiting patiently. Dee noticed a brown chair, near a tack board, and assumed it was for evidence and analysis.

Like any courtroom he could have imagined, there was a place for the judge, a witness stand, and a place for the two sides of the case. In the center there was a podium with a microphone sticking out of it. He rubbed Ryo's hand lovingly, trying to calm the obvious fear going through his lover's dark eyes. "It's okay," he told Ryo. "You'll be fine… you're a natural."

"Dee, I don't think I can," he said softly, tears in the corners of his dark eyes.

"No, no," Dee whispered, kissing the side of his lover's face. "Not gonna happen. You're strong enough to face anything." Dee sighed, feeling his own tears, just watching someone as strong as Ryo cry.

Just as Dee finished the words of comfort he was whispering, the door opened again, and a very formal looking Nevan and Lila entered the building. Both sat on the opposite side of the bench, neither looking at them. Dee could not help the scowl that developed on his face. Ryo was out for the child's best, and all they cared about was hurting their own family.

"Have faith," sweet Evelen whispered, looking at Ryo. "Their intentions are purely wrongdoing."

Dee smiled at the woman's words. It seemed that Evelen knew exactly his thoughts. She was a good person, and she cared as deeply for Ryo as anyone.

"The honorable Judge Ryan has entered," Claire said, as a balding man stepped from behind the wall into the chair. "Stay seated and the court will be in session."

"All parties to their stations." His voice was gruff and orderly.

Ryo gulped, breathing deeply. Dee gave his hand a small squeeze as Ryo bravely situated himself, standing and reaching his station, where Leila Hansen had already entered through the back room. Evelen looked over at Dee, a look that told him to remain strong for Ryo. Lila looked over at them difficultly. Bikky winced, seemingly afraid at seeing Ryo so vulnerable.

"Are both sides ready."

With quick confirmation, the judge went into a different mode. "All be introduced to Miss Rachel Weston, our psychiatric analysis."

Everyone seemed to agree to the fact that the blonde woman was sitting on the sidelines, her eyes evaluating them.

"First," the judge began. " I will pronounce this case. It is a rare situation for a man and a woman to die, leaving their child to a nephew. It is even more rare to be contested. A parent giving guardianship rights of their child to a member of the immediate family is rarely contested."

"And I have made a ruling about dismissal from some of the prosecutions evidence. The prosecuting attorney, Mister Leare has given many of his client's financial wealth as a reason for his abilities to deny this child what her parents have requested. I find the case of wealth on the prosecutions side to be unsubstantial to the main point – the child's well being."

Hansen smiled softly, and Ryo breathed deeply. He knew very well that Hansen had been trying oh-so-hard to have those charges dismissed from the case.

"A juried trial has been dismissed from these matters, owing to the fact that it is a simple civil dispute. I'd like to hear the attourney's opening statements, beginning with you Mister Leare."

The man stood. "Your honor, my client has significant reason to doubt his sister's choice to make his nephew the guardian of his child. He has evidence of devious acts, a dangerous lifestyle, and overall damage to his own mentality."

"Miss Hansen?" the judge asked.

"Your honor, my client has been a model citizen for years. He is a New York City detective, who has helped the people of the state for many years. He already has a child, whom he has turned over to a new life. He is a decent citizen, who just lives his private life like any other man."

"Prosecuting attorney, please present your case as best as you can, in forms with the outline I have with me."

The man who sat by Nevan stood again. He was of Latin American descent, shorthaired and wore glasses. He looked calm and collected, even though the judge had so blatantly told off his case. "Sir, I cannot pretend that my client does not feel emotionally for his niece. We have substantial proof that the chosen guardian does not have what it takes to parent this child."

"And your first piece of evidence of the guardian's unsuitable nature?"

The man handed a piece of paper to a man who took it to the judge. He looked it over and then his eyes turned on Ryo. "Sir, may I understand that you are a New York City Police Detective?"

Ryo nodded, speaking softly. "Yes, sir, I am."

"Care to tell me of any of these records of misconduct I am being informed of. You were transferred to the NYPD's twenty-seventh precinct five years ago, on May seventeenth?"

"Yes sir," Ryo said softly, his mind unable to not dwindle on that wonderful day.

"And only two weeks later," the judge muttered. "You were separated from a minor you were in charge of, and involved in a suspicious building combustion?"

"Yes sir," Ryo stated, and now it was Hansen's turn.

"Excuse me sir," she said softly, standing. "My client was fully excused from that charge. There were circumstances beyond Mister MacLean and his partner's control, which included a troubled youth they were not expecting."

Ryo flinched, wondering if Nevan's lawyer was carefully calculating how to use Hansen's comment against her. 

Bikky also flinched, a stabbing inside reminding him that this could hurt him a lot as well.

"Yes," the judge murmured softly. "So it seems… but the next case of unorthodox conduct on your part was only a short time afterward. English police have a report of yourself being involved in a very unusual murder case."

"Sir," Hansen said softly. "I too have reviewed the 'unorthodox' matters of the case in England. None of it was what would be considered illegal. A police officer happened to be in a bad situation, at the hands of a crazed murderer."

"This report states unorthodox violence on the part of Mister MacLean's partner," the judge stated. "Though it is clearly covered up by some upper hand, someone in power."

"The behavior was on my client's partner's record, not his," Hansen stated quickly. "That's unjustifiable defense!"

"Not quite," Nevan's attorney said softly. "This 'partner' of the opposed is a life partner, living with him. Someone who would obviously be in the home of the child."

"Order," the judge said softly. "The domestic life of the defendant is a whole other issue. His family members will be questioned indeed, but not now. I'd actually like to move to a matter of unusual tactics on the defendants part, taking place in the March of the next year." 

Ryo sighed, knowing exactly what had happened on that March day. He could practically speak the judge's harsh words with him.

"Misconduct, defiance of authority, and reports of what could have possibly been violence."

Ryo sighed. Thank heavens for Berkeley Rose, or he'd possibly be faced with harsher charges. His parents had been involved, or else he would have never lost his cool. It was such a minor case, marked only by hearsay. It would not hurt him too much. "My client concedes to that fact," Hansen said boldly. "Only to mark that he had a wild impulse, rather than full thought. It was one stain in an amazing career of successful cases."

The man nodded, considering. "I'd like to go over your report of domestic problems," he said, asking for the papers. "I'd also like an opening statement from you, the prosecutor."

"It is apparent that the defense lives a dangerous, alternate lifestyle that could have a terribly negative influence on an influential child. It is something that is incredibly unsuitable for a child of such fragile nature, and would impair her gentle mental more than could be repaired."

Judge Ryan read the papers in front of him, shaking his head slightly. "Perhaps," he said, looking to Ryo and Hansen. "Perhaps the defense could give me some clarification of what these forms mean."

Hansen started, but Ryo touched her arm. "My client would like to speak," she murmured, getting the judge's approval.

"Sir," Ryo said softly, unable to stop the cracking in his voice. "Sir, I believe what the prosecution is trying to say is that my romantic partner is a man. I have been involved for three years with said partner, and have never seen or done anything in my home, that could hurt my aunt's child."

"Nothing at all?" the judge asked. "The prosecution seems to have reasonable belief that devious events would scar the child in question."

"I see nothing," Ryo responded. "I'm a normal man, and I just don't do anything in front of a child that would seem immoral."

Bikky and Dee exchanged a look. Dee felt tears come again, and wiped at his eyes with his hand. Ryo was so bold, and stayed strong for them. He was the reason their life was so perfect.

"And you have a child of your own?" the man asked, reading over his forms.

"I adopted a young boy five years ago," Ryo said. "He's recently turned sixteen years old."

"And this sixteen year old boy," Judge John Ryan smiled, looking at his paperwork. "This boy is the same boy you came across five years ago?"

"Yes," Hansen said, boldly taking over. "His child was orphaned five years ago, when his last remaining family member was killed."

"And why did Mister MacLean take such a personal interest in just another case?" he asked softly.

"My client felt significant worry for the child's well being. There were no other relatives located, and even if there were, Mister MacLean did not sense that a proper life could be given."

"It seems there were criminal charges on this youth, even as recent as a few months ago," the judge mentioned. Bikky felt resentment slice through him, causing extreme upset. "Because the plaintiff seems to have no witnesses, perhaps Mister Lear would like to have questions the boy of his own misdoings?"

Nevan's lawyer nodded, a sharp movement. Bikky nodded, gulping and walked up to the podium in the center of the court. "Yes, sir," he said tightly.

"Perhaps you could explain a little more about these cases against yourself," Judge Ryan said boldly.

"Fine," Bikky stated slowly, his eyes on Ryo. "They're true. I'm being honest here, and yes, I haven't done the best things … even if the things I did hurt people. I grew up one way, and it's still taking years to get back to the other way."

"This is only more proof that the defense is unsuitable to parent a child. He has tried hard to parent this delinquent, and still his own negative character interferes."

Bikky spoke in response to the attorney's harsh words. "It's not because of my dad, all right? It's because it's hard to find another way to keep yourself safe. It gets even worse when you have to protect others too."

"And assault is a way to keep yourself and others safe?" the man shot back. "I believe this child is influenced by a dirty nature, one that could also taint the child in question."

Ryo watched, as Hansen, Evelen, Dee and Bikky began to take control of the situation. He felt lost, a little scared, but mostly, he felt extreme love for the people around him – who were giving so much.

Dee spoke of what a honorable detective he was, and how his personal belief's should have nothing to do with how successful and goodhearted he had always been.

Evelen stated that he was the only one who could raise the child in the way her parents wished for her. There was no plausible reason to deny the rights of a will.

Bikky… Bikky was just amazing, saying that he was proud of his dad, who would stand up and fight even with odds stacked against him.

When Nevan's lawyers finished their evidence, citing his parent's mysterious deaths as on of the more controversial pieces, Hansen stood.

"It is very well to say that I am calling for a Directed Verdict," she said eloquently. "The defense has no need to speak, if it is only to verify what the prosecution has clearly proven. Bumps and scratches make up a real family, and this man was given guardianship of his child from the day she was born."

There was a long break, while the judge decided whether or not to approve of Hansen's call. Ryo stepped down to the bench, where Dee gripped his arm excitedly.

"It's a win-" Dee whispered softly. "All the money in the world couldn't replace their lack of evidence, and complete torture of all of the people in your life."

"I hope so," Ryo whispered wearily, sitting down until the judge returned.

"Judge Ryan has re-arrived in the courtroom," Claire said softly.

"This case is hard," the judge admitted. "It confuses, and baffles me as to why this is happening. There are obviously underlying conflicts in your lives and families. They are conflicts that need to be resolved. The child, Arianne Baker, will be put into the custody of the defendant. You will be her temporary guardian. Your job is an unstable one, Mister Maclean. It is an honorable job, but if I am to change my ruling into a temporary adoption of your family's child, there will be some changes. In two years, I would love to see you in a suitable job, with a stable family. I'm not asking you to change your lifestyle completely, sir, but am asking for you to take the young charge into consideration. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to you, and the privilege can be revoked at a will."

Nevan shot a furious look at Ryo, just as Judge Ryan said the words that Ryo had been waiting to hear. "Case Dismissed."

Ryo watched as Dee's eyes locked with his. Should he be devastated, or exuberant and happy? "Let's go home Dee," Ryo whispered, as he collected his lover, his son, and a woman he considered a mother.

AN: No, it's not over  I wanted to make this feel to you like a recent experience of my mother's felt for us.

Dee: She still wants to torture you guys with two more chapters.


	17. Returning victorious

Title: In Trusting Eyes

Chapter: Seventeen

Summary: Figuring things out can be a stress-inducing event.

Disclaimer: Sanami Matoh owns all familiar FAKE characters and situations. I'm just adding spices to the mix.

Rating: PG-13

"No way!" Caroline yelled into the phone excitably. Her hand wrapped tighter around the receiver, and she practically had to slow her mind before she could speak again. "No Steven, you will not come down here a moment before your plans."

He spoke to her in a nervous voice, every other word stuttering. He asked her when she'd found out that she was pregnant. She smiled at the green telephone, softly. "Steve, honey… I've known for three days now," she said looking down. "I wanted to get to you as fast as I possibly could, but your phone was off three days ago, and then your Aunt Mandy said you were out of the house. And the court trial has been taking it's toll on everyone."

He asked her, concerned, how she could put herself under all that stress when she was going to have a baby. She smiled again, knowing that if Steve could see her, he'd be laughing at the idiotic way she looked.

"Honey, I'm not under a lot of stress… it's the people I love who are." She closed her eyes, smiling as she attempted to see Steve's concerned face in her mind.

He asked her about the trial, soft, concerned, and trying his hardest not to pry in affairs that were none of his business. It was so gentlemanly of him.

"It went good, Steve… but…" She stopped, leaving the man she loved to contend with her silence. He started to ask her if he should just stop intruding, but she said no.

"No, it's nothing like that… it's just… ever since the judge declared Ryo Arianne's official guardian, he's been very depressed."

He asked her why, but she wasn't really all that sure. "I wish I knew, cause then I could help some. He's just very quiet, locking himself in his upstairs room. He can barely look at Mama, who's just trying so hard to help him."

Did Ryo have anyone else to turn to? Steve's question was innocent, but it made Caroline feel badly.

"Of course he does," she explained slowly, sinking against the wall as she lowered her very loud voice. "He's got Dee. They love each other more than anything but… it's not something you can easily deal with, when your lover is involved."

Why was he depressed, Steve wanted to know, but her lover seemed like he had some of an idea already formulated in his always-intelligent mind.

"Well," she said softly. "Sometimes a battle isn't one. The best possible outcome happened, and Ryo and Dee both feel blessed I'm sure. In an idealistic world, the two of them taking the baby home, and giving her a perfect family sounds nice. Yet nobody really wins when people like Rick and Elena die, and leave the child they vowed to take care of – in someone else's hands. Ryo's a realist, and I'm sure he sees that he can never be what they were. He could live up to their standards as best as he can, but he cannot replace them. It hurts him."

She paused for a moment, a quick wish hitting her hard. She wished that the man were there with her now. "Plus honey, Ryo is so much like you… he wants to be the hero, to save other people from terrible fates. I'm sure he fantasized about defeating his evil uncle and taking his wonderful cousin to a new life. But the judge gave him guardianship, shot him down, and told him that nothing really gave him a divine right. He's got to sit down and plan at a child's life – her education, whether or not he'll have to quit his job… and all this other terrible stuff." 

Steven told her he understood well. He reminded her of the time when they were still friends, right after his wife had passed away. "Remember that Mary's family didn't think I could be a good single parent." His comforts made her feel better, as always. She smiled, so in love with the calm, collected man. "Remember that I was grieving my wife, while they tried to take away my kids. Yet Sarah, Kyle and I… we're stronger now. Hard times do end, Caro… and they will for your friends."

"Thank you," she murmured into the receiver, near tears. "Thank you so much."

"Rest", he told her seriously. "I'm going to stay the time I'd planned, because you keep telling me to – but you have to relax."

"I will," she whispered. "Now you better hang up, sweetheart, because I know it's expensive talking to me. I'll see you soon… tell the kids I love them." 

"They'll be terribly excited to have a new sibling on the way," he said, and she could almost see his sly grin, as he unconsciously knew that his words made a warmth crawl into her chest. Her baby, the baby that was growing inside of her, would be considered Sarah and Kyle's little sibling. They were going to be a family after all they'd been through.

Just as she hung the phone up, Dee entered the kitchen where she had been talking. "Where is he?" Dee asked, his green eyes expressing obvious concern. She pushed her hand against the telephone nervously, and touched his shoulder comfortingly.

"Sorry," she whispered quietly, "but I think he went upstairs."

"Again?" Dee slumped into a kitchen chair, touching his head frustrated. "Why won't he tell me what's wrong?"

"Aw," Caroline looked to Dee, stepping next to his chair. "Come on sweetie, you've gotta see what I'm seeing. He doesn't need you… it was just an unsatisfying moment. I mean, didn't you expect it to be extremely satisfying too?"

Dee nodded, but didn't speak. His head hit the table discouraged and he seemed to sigh before he stood up. "Well, I'm going up there," he said quietly. "See you a little later?"

"Of course," Caroline responded, brushing back her red hair from her eyes. "Of course I'll see you."

Dee stepped past her, walking to the last door at the edge of the upstairs hall. He tested it gently; it was locked. "Ryo?" he asked softly at the door. "Come on, how many days are you going to let me sit here knowing you're in there? I want in now!"

The door shifted, and then wafted open as Ryo stood in front of him, looking perfectly normal. "What do you want?" he asked slowly.

"I want you," Dee said bluntly. "I want you to come back to earth, and talk to me about how you're feeling. Ever since that day, when we finally told each other how we felt – I've never kept a thing from you. Are you going to start holding things back now?"

The look on Ryo's face was a little difficult for Dee to stare at. Ryo seemed a little pained, a little crushed, and a little desperate. "Dee, it's not that I'm hiding anything from you…" Ryo turned, affected by Dee's stare. "I promised to never hide any part of my life from you… but I have to admit … I don't know what the heck is going on in my head right now. Even if you helped me, I don't think I know what is wrong."

"All I want is the chance," Dee said quickly, unsure if the gesture was too much for Ryo. "Can I come in here?"

Ryo laughed, trying to ease the obvious tension between them. "It is your room too you know…" he said quietly.

"I've been locked out of it for two days," Dee said with a tiny sense of bitterness. He walked into the room, and sat down on the bed. Ryo sat next to him. "Now talk to me, please."

"My … my … Dee it's over!" Ryo said loudly, unsure of whether to sound joyful or devastated. "It's over and now it's real life. It's no longer the struggle we were getting so used to. It's the…"

"Scariest thing of all? Yeah Ryo, real life is the scariest part of life." Dee laughed slightly, smiling at his lover's fearful expression. "But it's not like the worry over whether you're doing it right lasts forever. It will go away."

"Do I change everything about myself?" Ryo asked, looking at Dee. Dee felt oddly about the question, for it seemed to be a different person than Ryo asking it. He seemed so weak, so frail. "I was happy with how we were Dee."

"So was I," Dee said, shrugging softly. "I liked it a whole lot… it sure was nice once you gave in to me too. But our future looks just as good to me. And as for the occupation thingy… cause I know that's got you down… you can keep your job Ryo. We can work it out with the chief, to get opposite shifts. Sure, it means seeing less of you… but I'd do it in a second to make sure that little girl always had someone home for her."

"You mean it, don't you?" Ryo said, slowly. "I've never seen you so dedicated and devoted. You're a changed man Dee."

"For the better I hope." Dee leaned against the wall and sighed softly.

Ryo laughed out loud, a welcome sound. "Sure thing for the better. But Dee… I can't help…" He looked uncomfortable, and Dee had to urge him on.

"What is it Ryo?" Dee looked genuinely concerned. "Tell me."

"I can't help wonder what would happen if I got myself killed." Ryo stopped, reflecting for a half second on what he'd said. "You know me Dee… if it comes between me and a criminal, I'm going to do something stupid. If I get myself killed, then she'll lose someone else."

Dee shifted, uneasy. "Ryo, you will not get yourself killed."

"Dee, you saw how quick my aunt and uncle died. They were taken away from their baby girl… and it wasn't their faults. Someone else, someone full of bad choices, decided to crash into their car. I just don't want to take myself away from her."

"You'll be there for her, I promise," Dee said, pulling Ryo closer to him, and pressing his lips to the man's semi-bared shoulder. "You won't leave her…"

"But if…"

"Do you realize how big that little girl's true family is?" Dee said, smiling slightly beside his worry. "She's a lucky child to have so many people loving her. She'll never not know how much love she has."

"Do you love her Dee?" Ryo asked randomly, accepting the comfort Dee had offered, and enjoying it. "Do you?"

"Oh yes," Dee said quietly, holding Ryo close and feeling the warmth of having the body next to him. "Ryo, she's going to grow up with us. You are her parent- and I consider myself the same."

"Man Dee you've changed," Ryo chuckled softly. "I'll try not to be so depressed now. All I am is scared, very scared."

"That's okay." Dee sounded confident, as he leaned his head on Ryo. "It'll all turn out all right. I promise it will… Everyone is going to be happy."

Meanwhile, while they spoke, Caroline was in a very unexpected conversation with her mother. Evelen had grandly entered the room, declaring that she intended to move to New York City.

"What mother?" Caroline said, her eyes wide. She looked at Evelen as though the woman was crazed. "Mom, why?"

"Because sweetheart, that is where my Arianne will be," she said softly. "I cannot live so far from Arianne, that it would be a hassle on our men to bring her to me."

"Oh Mama!" Caroline yelled excitedly. "Mama, Dee and Ryo will bring Ari to see you often."

"Caroline when you go out to live with Steven and your children, then I'm going to be by myself."

"Mom, what gave you the impression that I was going to…"

"You're pregnant Caroline." Evelen stated this bluntly and Caroline sighed.

"Mom, Steve can't fit me and a baby in his house anyway. I am going to be looking for a new place too. Near you."

Evelen shrugged, moving her head seriously. "I am going to live in New York City. If you insist on looking for a home near me, sweetheart, then I'd suggest you look for one there or nearby."

"I'll just do that then," Caroline said smiling.

"Our Jones family sarcasm," Evelen said softly, shaking her head and hugging her daughter. "But I am true to say that we belong close by, no?"

"Yes." Caroline nodded slowly, scared herself of the future. "This whole incident has brought a family close together."


	18. Beginning

Title: In Trusting Eyes

Chapter: Eighteen

Author's Notes: Thank you to EVERYONE who has reviewed this fic and made it a fun experience for me. I appreciate all the help, comments, and analyzing I've received from everybody. Thanks to Erin for beta reading chapter's 5-11

When more time comes my way I have a special something planned.

"Look Chief," Dee said, placing one hand against the wall and looking as serious as he possibly could. "I know you can't help Ryo out because of favoritism or whatever… but think about it this way. The twenty-seventh needs Ryo. If you can't find a way to alternate his shifts with mine, then get rid _of me_. You have to admit we couldn't function without a sniper like him."

"Maybe you should just go on being a full time Mommy then Laytner." The response was brutal, but something Dee had come to expect from his superior.

"Maybe I should," he said quietly, fervently. "Maybe I will."

"I know that Randy is a valuable person," was Chief Smith's unrelenting response. "But it will take a lot of effort to do this. It might not be possible. Sorry Laytner, but that's how the system works."

"I'll resign then," Dee said, shrugging boldly, and almost turning himself around completely. "I have no choice, because – my partner's already given up enough. He sacrificed everything possible for this, winning the case meant everything. I'm trying to be civil with you, but his work means a lot to him."

"Freaking moron," Chief Smith muttered, now looking straight at Dee. "As much as I love the self-pity, sacrificial attitude Laytner, I can't do more than make an effort for you. Just remember you haven't done anything to deserve anyone's respect here. The district knows all about you."

"This isn't about me!" Dee said, almost regretfully. "I wish it was, but it's not. Ryo's the best thing you guys have ever had, and you're not letting him go either way. The money means a lot to us, of course, but we'll take what work we can. You just can't take Ryo's passion from him – it'd be unfair."

"Randy's a good officer… but life tends to be unfair." That was the only reply, and as Dee left, an added, "We'll see what we can do."

Dee walked into the office he shared with his partner, and could only pray that a response would come quick. It was all something out of a sappy romance novel, the stuff he wanted to do for Ryo. He wanted to give up everything, his way of life, his job, and his existence. Yet it felt fulfilling to know that whatever he had to do, he would do it - for the man he loved more than anything else.

He wondered how Ryo was doing. Ryo was staying upstate with the rest of his family, and they were supposed to be visiting a local park today. Dee laughed, hoping Ryo was enjoying the outing as much as he imagined him to be. "He better be enjoying it," Dee said quietly, looking at the framed photograph of the two of them that was sitting on Ryo's desk. He couldn't help look at his partner's smile, and note how beautiful it really was. "Man, Ryo, you're just beautiful…"

About five minutes later, a sudden knock at his door moved Dee away from his private moment. Dee opened the door, surprised to find Drake Parker standing there, looking a bit nervous. "Hey, what's up?" Dee asked instantly.

"Not much really," Drake replied quietly. "I just heard you were back for a couple of days, and I thought I would come over here."

Dee nodded, opening the door to let his friend inside. Drake walked inside, a little uneasy. "Haven't heard from you for awhile," Drake said casually. "Have things been going well since the last time we got to talk to you?"

Dee could not help laugh. Drake was acting so tense, so unlike the man Dee knew. "Calm down," Dee suggested. "Things couldn't be greater. It all went down according to plan, and I think Ryo's happy now."

"Except for not being able to work at the precinct?" Drake asked cautiously. "Sorry if I'm saying stuff I shouldn't be, but the chief's walking around grumbling about it, and you just walked out of his office."

"Well you know how it is," Dee said, sitting down on top of Ryo's desk. "Our job is different than most. We don't have set hours, we're busy, in constant danger… and unless one of us is at home to take care of her, there's a chance Ryo could lose guardianship of his cousin. We're a threat remember?"

"You know how it is," Drake joked, laughing slightly. "Gay cops are the state's biggest threat, right?"

"Some people might say that," Dee said sarcastically.

"Well, I have some good news, I think," Drake responded, his voice becoming a little softer. "JJ heard what the chief was saying and went in to talk to him. He's moving in with me, and everyone knows how far I live. So he's going to try to get our hours cut a bit too. JJ mostly works exclusively daytime shifts, so that might help you get what you're looking for."

"Lord," Dee said softly, breathing heavily. He almost felt tears forming at the corners of his eyes, and laughed at how silly he looked. "Are you serious? What else do you know?"

"I know that if the chief can get word to the right members of the district it could happen."

"This is the best news I've heard in my entire life," Dee said softly, looking away from his friend. "Oh, if this works… life will be on the right track. It'll all work out in the end."

"Yeah." Drake smiled, and then started laughing. "JJ said that it was the least he could do, given that you're always going to be his adored hero."

"Well, if your moving in together already, I'll accept being a hero," Dee said with a kind of sigh. "A lot's happened in the months Ryo and I have been gone."

"Things happen pretty damned quick," Drake agreed.

"It's kind of scary when you rely on slow and steady as a way of life," Dee said laughing. "Oh my god, I hope whatever JJ's planning pushes the chief into the right direction. You're real passionate about what you do, right?"

"Yeah," Drake said casually, shrugging. "Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to help people in some way. I think everyone who works here grew up believing in Superman."

"I agree," Dee said wistfully. "That's why Ryo can't lose his job. It means too much to him. Especially now that we've seen that Superman might not really exist."

Drake sighed, and then looked at the clock on the wall. "Sorry Dee, I really want to stay, but I have to get going. I was supposed to finish filing a report about an hour and a half ago. If I didn't have JJ around, I'd lose track of everything here."

"No problem," Dee said. "And if you see JJ around before I do, I said thanks for trying to help me out."

Drake nodded, and then rushed out of the room. Dee sighed, and slumped back into his chair. When would he find out? When would everything start moving slowly again?

-

Ryo was thinking of Dee that day, as he sat beside a small pond with Bikky and Arianne. Cal and Caroline were on a blanket underneath a tree, having a seemingly deep conversation, and Evelen was sitting in a lawn chair, reading a book.

He wondered how much luck his partner could really have. He also dreaded what Dee would do to keep them in reasonable positions at the precinct. "Hopefully nothing embarrassing," he said aloud, with a short smile.

"What?" Bikky asked, his eyes still faithfully on the little girl, who he had promised to look after while she stayed so close to the body of water.

"Just thinking about what lengths Dee will go to in order to talk the chief into letting me keep my job," Ryo said, leaning back against the solid trunk of a tree. "You know him – he can be really embarrassing when he wants to."

"Which is just about every second," Bikky said, and Ryo laughed to himself as his son reached out to pull the young child back, even though she was probably eight feet from the water's edge. Proudly, he told himself that his personality had rubbed off on the young man.

"I don't think Dee would really do anything too bad," Ryo said quietly. "I'm just glad he went back. I didn't want to do it myself and he knew it."

Bikky and Arianne moved much closer to where Ryo sat, and then Bikky noticed Caroline and Cal sitting together on the blanket, talking. "I wonder what they're going on about," he said aloud, knowing that his father would usually consider what he said intrusive.

"I trust Caroline," Ryo said quickly, as Ari sat down next to him and began examining the tree carefully. "I don't think Cal's aunt really gave her the advice a young woman needs. Nothing against her of course, but she's very old fashioned."

"More like ancient."

"Watch it," Ryo said quietly. "Anyway, I don't think you've got anything to worry about. Caroline's wonderful, and always willing to help."

What Bikky did not know, was that the girl who had cared for him since they were young children, was talking to the woman about him and their relationship.

"You both are very close," Caroline had noted immediately. "How long have you known each other?"

Cal shrugged, sitting up and looking at the woman. "I think Bikky was about eight years old when we met. I didn't see him very much, but when Ryo adopted him … we saw each other all the time."

"Do you mind if I ask you how long you've been together?" Caroline asked, leaning back. She looked a little tired, and this concerned Cal a little bit. "You seem like a very close couple, being so young."

"Bikky was ten when he first told me that I was his," she said, laughing as she noticed Bikky by the pond. "Silly, isn't it?"

"Hey," Caroline said softly, leaning back. "It's not silly if it worked. And it looks like it worked very well."

"Yeah," she said quietly. She looked a little uncomfortable, the fleeting emotion closing her eyes and making her mouth open slightly. "But my aunt doesn't approve of him that much."

"Really?" Caroline said quietly. "Why, sweetheart? He's such a good boy, and a wonderful older brother to our Arianne while we're at it."

"Bikky and I were both street kids," she said, laughing at the generic stereotyping of herself and her boyfriend. "My aunt's appalled that I ever grew up that way, and she wishes I could get rid of every connection to … well the past."

"If you love the connections, you can't let them go, honey," Caroline responded, leaning backwards. "It'll all work out, and you're aunt will see eventually. Is there also a problem involved with your age difference?"

"Kind of," Cal shrugged, wondering why she was telling a complete stranger with this. "But I'll just shut up, this is probably bothering you."

"Not really," Caroline shrugged innocently, lying back on the blanket. She yawned softly, indicating again how tired she was. "How old are you kids anyway?"

Cal sighed deeply. She really found herself admiring Caroline, and the blunt way she just let everything out in the open. It reminded her somewhat of Dee, and that thought made her happy. "I'm nineteen and Bikky's sixteen," she said quickly. "It's not really that big of a difference, but everyone sure acts like it is."

"My dear Steven is three years younger than I am too," Caroline said dreamily. "Maybe that can inspire you a bit. We're going to have a baby, get married, and everything's looking so much brighter."

"Are you excited?" Cal asked, shifting to sit on her knees. "It must be so thrilling to know you're going to have a baby."

Caroline nodded slowly. "Oh yes, it is. But it's also a little bit scary to think of how our future will be. As much as Steven and the kids love my baby, he or she will never be his former wife's child. That really makes me think about the future."

"I'm sure those feelings will…" Cal paused, trying to think of the right thing to say to this woman. "I'm sure they'll go away when you realize how much he really cares about you, and wants you to feel like a member of his family."

"You really are intelligent."

"Thank you."

Caroline nodded, and rolling over, she looked across the park to where Ryo and Bikky floated a small toy boat across the edge of the lake, much to the three year old girl's delight. "Those three are quite the little family," she said, gesturing with her head.

"That girl has everyone drawn in, doesn't she?" Cal mentioned quietly, grinning.

"It's the allure of a three year old girl," Caroline responded. "Nobody can resist her innocent charms, and beautiful attitude. I remember when Rick first introduced me to her, when she was little more than six months old. She's just a good kid."

Meanwhile, Ryo watched as Bikky floated the little toy boat at the edge of the pond, much to the screaming girl's delight. "Go! Go! Go!" she yelled exuberantly.

"The wind pushes it, Arianne," Ryo said softly, stepping closer to his children and then sitting at the end of the pond. "The wind makes it go fast or slow."

"Go wind! Go wind!" The little girl shrieked the new knowledge in delight.

"Geesh …" Bikky said sarcastically. "You're going to make her the smartest kid in the preschool. She's going to know everything before she hits four."

"Good," Ryo said quietly, and then his cell phone began to ring, making Ari stare at him, and Ryo fumble to find the object in his pocket.

"Hold on," he said softly. "That may be Dee, Bikky can you keep an eye on her?"

Bikky nodded, and Ryo scooted a bit further from the water, answering. "Hello?" he said cautiously, delighted to hear Dee's voice on the other end.

"Ryo?" Dee asked softly, and Ryo could hear the mounting excitement in of his lover's voice. "Ryo, are you at the park?" With each word, Dee's voice rose in volume, and became that much quicker.

"Yeah Dee," he said, smiling enthusiastically. "We're at the park. It's brilliant."

"Wanna know what else is brilliant?" Dee said loudly, making Ryo almost pull his ear away from the receiver. "You keeping your job, me keeping my job, and JJ being the saint of the universe that pulled it all off."

"Dee, are you serious?" Ryo asked loudly, forcing himself to quiet as he received some less than pleasant stares from others. "Dee, tell me this isn't a joke!"

"JJ gave up a lot of morning shifts, so you can work in the early shift, while I take mostly mid and late shifts. There will always be someone at home, and we have Drake and JJ's rapid romance to thank for it! Oh my god, Ryo, JJ and Drake are moving in together … and JJ can't get in as early as he used to… and oh my god, if I weren't in love with you I'd kiss him!"

Ryo breathed deeply, trying to collect everything he wanted to say to Dee at that very moment. His breath just left him though, and he found himself speechless. "Oh my god, Dee, you don't know what this means."

"Yeah baby I do," Dee said, laughing. "It means you can stop giving things up and start enjoying your life. I've never been so thrilled."

Dee paused, and then he realized that the noises on the other end of the phone line were his partner's sniffling, and crying. "Are you crying, Ryo?" he asked quietly. "Aw come on, you've got everything you needed."

"I'm just so happy that you… and JJ… and everyone," Ryo stopped, noticing his son's eyes on him, but then he waved his hands signaling that he didn't care. "I'm just happy you did this to get me the one thing I've wanted to hold on to."

"So you don't start crying," Dee said, imagining Ryo's face. He could see the beginnings of tears streaming down his partner's cheek, and he bit his lip with the urge to comfort him, "can I ask you how the park trip is going?"

"Wonderful," Ryo said, breathing heavily. "And since Bikky has no difficulty making fun of my crying, I have no problem telling you that he's watching over Ari like a mother bear."

Dee laughed hysterically. "Figures…"

"Poor kid," Ryo said laughing softly. Under his breath, he whispered, "She can't get within ten feet of this silly little duck pond without being pulled back."

"Where do you think he learned?" Dee asked, still laughing. "I'm going to be seeing you at home really soon, right?"

"Caroline is waiting for her boyfriend Steven and his kids to come here," Ryo said quietly. "Once he does than Bikky, Cal and I are bringing Ari to New York City. Evelen and Caroline are both planning on searching for places out here. A week at the most."

"I think I'll stay and pester Drake about his induction into the precinct's "gay-hall-o'-fame" or something. It'll be fun." 

"See you soon," Ryo whispered into the phone. "I love you."

"I love you too; tell the kids I love them."

"Oh my god, we're becoming such a 'family' aren't we?" Bikky asked, the moment Ryo hung up the phone. Ryo nodded, as Arianne brought over her wet boat. He held it in his hands, and almost started crying again.

"Yeah," he said. "It's pretty neat isn't it? I'm a parent, before I know it… you and Cal will be having kids and I'll be a grandparent I bet. Caroline's having a baby, her family and Evelen are moving nearby, and … I don't have to let go of the most important parts of my old life. None of us do."

"It's just tough." Bikky said shrugging. "You told me that when I was fourteen I think. That life's just tough, and we're all going to have to get through it. It's confusing, and not too much of a fairytale, but it's just living – and we're a family. We're supposed to get through everything."

Ryo laughed. "Didn't I tell you that when you got in trouble at school for something you didn't do?"

Bikky nodded. "Hey, it kind of fit this didn't it?"

Ryo agreed. "Yeah, good one. We'll be all right from now on. Our large, rather extended family will survive. Unless of course, another crazed obsticle finds us next week."

"Don't say that!" Arianne shrieked, the words bringing a warmth around them. "Papa Ryo, don't say that!"

"All right then, Miss Ari," Ryo said, grinning. "I won't."

AN: Apology accepted for the lack of goodness in chapter 17? Please let me know what you thought of the final. I have a short, one chapter sequel almost finished that will be so sugary that you might melt.


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